20-year sentence for Chairman Wontumi raises serious questions of fairness - Peter Amewu

Former Volta Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) John Peter Amewu has backed the party's Ashanti Regional Chairman Bernard 'Wontumi' Antwi-Boasiako's decision to appeal his 20-year prison sentence, describing the punishment as "severe," while reaffirming his respect for the rule of law and the fight against illegal mining popularly known as galamsey.

In a statement issued in relation to Wontumi's conviction, Mr Amewu received the news "with deep shock and profound concern.”

He, however, stressed his comments are not to be considered an opposition to the judiciary or the legal process.

"As a citizen of Ghana, a former Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, and a longstanding member of the New Patriotic Party tradition, I wish to state clearly that I respect the rule of law, the independence of the judiciary and the constitutional processes available to every citizen," he said.

Mr Amewu, who previously served as Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, maintained that the fight against illegal mining must remain firm and non-partisan but argued that the administration of justice must also be fair and proportionate.

While criminal accountability for environmental offences is essential, he said, a 20-year custodial sentence raises legitimate questions about proportionality, fairness and the broader administration of justice.

"Illegal mining remains one of the most serious environmental and governance challenges facing our country. No patriotic Ghanaian can support the destruction of our rivers, forests, farmlands, and communities. The fight against illegal mining must be firm, lawful, and non-partisan. At the same time, the fight must be conducted in a manner that preserves justice, proportionality, due process, and public confidence in the legal system," he said.

He, therefore, welcomed Wontumi's decision to challenge both his conviction and sentence at the Court of Appeal.

"The appeal courts exist precisely to review questions of law, proportionality, sentencing discretion and possible errors in principle," Mr Amewu said, urging the party supporters and the public to remain calm and allow the judicial process to run its course.

Explaining his relationship with Wontumi, Mr Amewu recalled the work they had done together to rebuild the NPP after its defeat in the 2008 elections.

"Chairman Bernard Antwi Boasiako is not just a political figure to me. He is a colleague and a person I have worked closely with in the service of the New Patriotic Party. In the period leading to the 2016 general elections, when I served as the Regional Chairman of the NPP in the Volta Region, I worked closely with Chairman Bernard Antwi Boasiako and many others across the country to help reorganise, mobilise, and strengthen the party after the painful loss of power in 2008," he said.

"Those were difficult years for the party, and many of us gave our time, energy, resources, and commitment to bring the NPP back to power through constitutional and democratic means."

"It is against this personal and political background that I express my solidarity with Chairman Bernard Antwi Boasiako and his family at this difficult moment," he emphasised.