Wontumi’s conviction is justice, not political persecution – Angelina Asurayaga
NDC communicator Angelina Asurayaga says Chairman Wontumi's conviction followed due process and should be viewed as a legal matter rather than political persecution.
A member of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Communication Team in the Chaina-Paga Constituency, Angelina Asurayaga, has rejected claims that the conviction of NPP Ashanti Regional Chairman Bernard Antwi Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, was politically motivated.
Speaking on the Big Mike Breakfast Show on Wednesday, July 22, Asurayaga said the judgment resulted from a judicial process based on evidence presented before the court and should not be portrayed as political persecution.
She argued that once a licensed mining concession holder permits another person to use the concession for activities that turn out to be illegal, the concession holder cannot escape responsibility under the law.
“This case shouldn’t have been given a political face at all. Wontumi was caught in the web of the law.” Angelina said.
Asurayaga maintained that the prosecution was the work of the state’s legal institutions and not the governing NDC, insisting that anyone found culpable in illegal mining should face the law regardless of political affiliation.
“The NDC did not convict Wontumi. A court of competent jurisdiction convicted him after due process.” She declared
She also defended President John Dramani Mahama’s commitment to fighting illegal mining, noting that the President has publicly stated that even members of his own party would face justice if found guilty.
“If my own people are found culpable, they should also face the law. No one should be above the law.” She stated.
Asurayaga urged the NPP to challenge the verdict through the courts instead of politicising the case, saying the country’s legal system provides an avenue for appeal where any alleged errors can be addressed.
“If the NPP believes the judgment is wrong, the proper place to challenge it is the Court of Appeal, not the court of public opinion. She said.
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