Ghana NPP Communicator Defends Chairman Wontumi Against Galamsey Claims

New Patriotic Party (NPP) communicator Awal Mohammed told the radio program Joy Prime that accusations linking Ashanti Regional party chairman Bernard Antwi‑Boasiako, known as Chairman Wontumi, to illegal mining (galamsey) are not substantiated by the court record. He noted that the Accra High Court trial, which closed on the six counts of allowing unlicensed mining and assigning mineral rights without approval, did not include a charge that Wontumi personally engaged in gold digging.

Mohammed also cited former President Nana Akufo‑Addo’s earlier public defence of the chairman, emphasizing that the legal proceedings have not confirmed any personal involvement. The trial’s judgment is scheduled for 3 July, and Mohammed argued that scrutiny of galamsey should be applied uniformly rather than focusing on a single individual.