"Wontumi has no where to go, court should consider and grant him bail" - Paul Yandoh

Paul Kwabena Yandoh, a former Ashanti Regional Communications Director of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and a party communicator, has appealed to the court to consider the arguments presented by the legal team of Bernard Antwi-Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, and grant him bail pending the determination of his appeal.

Yandoh, who has consistently spoken in defence of Wontumi amid his legal challenges, maintained that the former NPP Ashanti Regional Chairman was not a violent person and had no reason to flee, insisting that there was nothing wrong with his lawyers seeking temporary freedom for him through the court.

“Chairman has nowhere to run, and he is not a violent person. There is nothing wrong with pleading with the court to allow him to go home while we await the outcome of the appeals. I only pray that the judge will consider Wontumi’s lawyer’s arguments in good faith and grant him the opportunity he is seeking,” Paul Yandoh stated.

Wontumi’s bail application follows his conviction in a case involving illegal mining activities linked to Akonta Mining Limited and a concession at Samreboi in the Western Region. On July 20, 2026, an Accra High Court sentenced him to 20 years’ imprisonment with hard labour. The court ordered the sentences to run concurrently.

Following the judgment, Wontumi’s legal team initiated an appeal challenging the conviction and sentence and sought bail pending the outcome of the appeal.