The Spokesperson for Chairman Wontumi’s campaign for the National Chairmanship slot of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Dr Palgrave Boakye Danquah has said that the former’s incarceration will not prevent him from pursuing that mission.
He said the campaign team will pick nomination forms for Chairman Wontumi to enable him contest for the position.
“We will pick forms for Wontumi. We will take it to him in prison to complete and compete for the position,” he stated on Ghana Tonight on August 19.
Chairman Wontumi is vying for the position against NPP stalwarts like John Boadu, Boakye Agyarko and Paul Afoko.
Responding to sections of the NPP’s Constitution that bars persons serving prison sentence from competing for positions in t he party, Mr Danquah said this does not apply to Chairman Wontumi.
“When Chairman Wontumi was jailed, the party’s General Secretary held a press conference and announced that Chairman Wontumi is a political prisoner. That is the position of the party on this issue,” he stressed.
He explained that Chairman Wontumi can run the affairs of the party from prison if he is elected.
“The national executive is made up of other members, vice chairmen and others. Nsawam Prison is only about sixty minutes away, they can discuss issues when they visit him,” Dr Danquah clarified.
On July 20, an Accra High Court sentenced Bernard Antwi-Boasiako, also known as Chairman Wontumi to twenty years imprisonment for illegal mining offences.
The judge who sentenced him, Her Ladyship Justice Audrey Kocuvie-Tay, explained that she did so to save the environment.
This is contained in the 59-page judgment sighted by 3news.
“The Court takes notice of the gravity of the offences, and the need for deterrence to avert the environmental disaster that might befall the nation, the more law enforcement stays aloof and allows illegal mining activities to persist in the country,” she wrote.
According to him, “The offences in this case relate to illegal exploitation of mineral resources, which are the property of the State. The conduct of the 1st and 3rd accused persons undermines the regulatory framework for the mining sector and contributes to environmental degradation associated with illegal mining.”
Madam Kocuvie-Tay said she decided not to give Chairman Wontumi the maximum sentence because he is a first-time offender.
“Having listened to counsel for 1st and 3rd accused plea in mitigation, the 1st and 3rd accused person are sentenced as follows; Taking into account, the fact that the 1st and 3rd accused persons are 1st time offenders, and generally their plea in mitigation, the court sentences the accused persons as follows: On count 1 the 1st accused is sentenced to serve a term of 20 years imprisonment in hard labour, and also to a fine of 10,000.00 penalty units in default serve 3 years in hard labour.”
“On count 4, the 1st accused is sentenced to serve a term of 20 years imprisonment in hard labour, and also to a fine of 10,000.00 penalty units in default serve 3 years in hard labour. On count 3 the 3rd accused is sentenced to pay a fine of 15,000 penalty units. On count 6, the 3rd accused is sentenced to pay a fine of 15,000 penalty units. The sentences are to run concurrently,” she concluded.
