Former Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Alhaji Inusah Fuseini, has strongly rejected claims by the New Patriotic Party (NPP) framing the Ashanti Regional Chairman, Bernard Antwi Boasiako—popularly known as Chairman Wontumi—as a political prisoner, insisting that his recent 20-year conviction for illegal mining activities is purely a matter of criminal justice.
Speaking on JoyNews' Newsfile, Mr. Fuseini pushed back against opposition assertions that Wontumi’s prosecution was politically motivated. The legal practitioner emphasized that the court’s judgment stems directly from statutory infractions regarding illegal mining (galamsey) within forest reserves, noting that Wontumi was prosecuted and sentenced under criminal laws passed by Parliament—specifically referencing stiffer minimum sentencing guidelines enacted under the Minerals and Mining (Amendment) Act. Fuseini stated that labeling a convicted individual a political prisoner undermines the rule of law and the judicial fight against environmental destruction, reiterating that political affiliation provides no immunity against criminal liability.
The public debate over high-profile prosecutions continues as legal analysts and political leaders weigh the judicial precedents set in anti-galamsey enforcement efforts.
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