ELS: MBN360 NEWS
The Minority Caucus in Parliament has announced its support for an appeal against the conviction of the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Bernard Antwi-Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, describing the High Court’s decision as a miscarriage of justice.
In a statement signed by the Minority Leader, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, the caucus said although it respects the authority of the judiciary and the rule of law, it believes the judgment was reached without sufficient evidence and must be challenged through the appellate process.
“While we respect the authority of our courts, respect for the judiciary does not require silence in the face of a judgment that is fundamentally flawed. Our Constitution guarantees every citizen the right to disagree with judicial decisions and to seek redress through the appellate process. That is precisely what we intend to do,” the statement said.
According to the Minority, it was never disputed during the trial that Chairman Wontumi lawfully acquired his mineral concession.
The caucus argued that the prosecution failed to establish that he unlawfully assigned or transferred the concession, insisting that no evidence was presented to support the offence for which he was convicted.
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“It was never disputed that Chairman Wontumi lawfully acquired his mineral concession. The central question was whether that concession had been assigned or transferred in violation of the law. No evidence was adduced before the court establishing any such assignment or transfer,” the statement noted.
The Minority further maintained that the conviction was based on assumptions rather than proof beyond reasonable doubt.
“The prosecution could not produce any evidence to show that Wontumi had assigned his mineral rights. Instead, the conviction rested on assumptions and inferences which, in our view, could not amount to proof beyond reasonable doubt.”
Describing the judgment as “a travesty of justice,” the caucus expressed confidence that the Court of Appeal would overturn the conviction.
The statement added that legal processes to challenge the ruling had already commenced and reaffirmed the Minority’s support for Chairman Wontumi throughout the appeal.
