Paul Kwabena Yandoh, Ashanti Regional Communications Director of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP), has made a public appeal to President John Dramani Mahama to intervene in the ongoing legal case involving Bernard Antwi Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi.
Speaking on the Daybreak morning show hosted by Kojo Marfo, Yandoh issued an emotional plea, going as far as kneeling on air to seek clemency on behalf of the embattled NPP Ashanti Regional Chairman.
“Mr President, I am kneeling before you. Please relieve Chairman Wontumi from the distress he is currently facing. We acknowledge that there may have been excesses,” Yandoh stated during the broadcast.
He further urged President Mahama to take a direct interest in the matter to prevent what he described as a potential miscarriage of justice.
“Mr President, we beg you to speak on this issue. Do not allow Chairman Wontumi to go to prison. You are a father to all, and we appeal to you to ensure that he is not incarcerated,” he added.
Yandoh expressed confidence that presidential intervention could significantly influence the outcome of the case, suggesting that the situation could be resolved through executive engagement.
According to him, the legal actions against Chairman Wontumi risk setting a troubling precedent in Ghana’s political landscape.
He argued that similar actions allegedly undertaken by members of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) have not attracted the same level of scrutiny.
“I strongly believe that the basis of the case against Wontumi raises concerns, especially when it is openly acknowledged by President Mahama that members of the NDC engage in similar activities,” he said.
He cautioned that the case could lead to a dangerous trend where political affiliation becomes grounds for suspicion or legal action without sufficient evidence.
“It should not become a situation where silence or association is interpreted as guilt, leading to unwarranted interrogation. That is not how a fair political system should operate,” he noted.
Yandoh also questioned the strength of the allegations against Chairman Wontumi, emphasizing that the NPP chairman neither held a ministerial position nor served as a CEO or board member in any state institution.
He further argued that claims linking Wontumi to illegal mining activities lack direct evidence.
“It is even more concerning that the allegations do not suggest he personally engaged in illegal mining. The claim is that someone he permitted access to a concession engaged in such activities, yet there is no documentation to substantiate this,” Yandoh asserted.
Source: www.Kumasimail.com
