Deputy Director of Operations at the Presidency, Mustapha Gbande, has made fresh revelations about the ongoing trial of the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Bernard Antwi Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi.
Speaking on Okay FM on October 20, 2025, Mr. Gbande dismissed claims that Wontumi’s prosecution is politically motivated, insisting instead that top NPP members are the ones engineering his downfall.
According to him, some influential NPP officials have been leaking sensitive information to the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) government to aid Wontumi’s prosecution.
“As for Chairman Wontumi’s trial, his own party leaders are behind it. Wontumi has not fought with any NDC member. We all saw how the NPP held a press conference and told Ghanaians that the road contracts awarded to Wontumi in the Ashanti Region were not executed,” he said.
“So, what sin has the NDC committed?” he asked.
Gbande claimed that internal party rivalries and greed are driving the betrayal, alleging that certain senior figures in the NPP who did not benefit from the previous administration are now turning against their colleagues.
He also suggested that some presidential hopefuls within the NPP are leaking information to weaken Wontumi, whom they perceive as financially powerful and supportive of rival factions.
“When Wontumi went for a loan to farm maize, was any NDC member there? When he went for Akonta Mining to mine on river bodies, was I there? It’s because he enjoyed the benefits alone and neglected others. Now, those same people are the ones exposing him,” Gbande alleged.
He added, “For us, we are ready to receive all the information. When they bring the evidence, we will take it.”
Chairman Wontumi was released from police custody on October 10, 2025, after meeting his GH¢10 million bail condition with two sureties, one backed by landed property. His lawyer, Andy Appiah-Kubi, confirmed his release after a week of legal proceedings.
His release followed a rearrest on October 7, linked to fresh allegations of illegal mining (galamsey). The charges stem from investigations by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service, acting on the directive of Attorney General Dr. Dominic Ayine.
Wontumi is expected to reappear before the Criminal Court at the Accra High Court as the case progresses, alongside other alleged accomplices, including Edward Akuoko, Owusu Bempah, and Kwame Antwi, the Director of Akonta Mining Limited, who remains at large.
source: GhanaWeb
