The Minority in Parliament has called for fair and equal enforcement of Ghana’s illegal mining (galamsey) laws and wants the Court of Appeal to review the case that led to the conviction of NPP Ashanti Regional Chairman, Bernard Antwi-Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi.
Speaking to the media, Deputy Minority Leader, Patricia Appiagyei, said the fight against illegal mining should be carried out fairly and without political bias.
She said selective enforcement could reduce public confidence in state institutions.
“Public trust in institutions that must outlive any single administration is corroded. We therefore call on the Attorney General to publish the state’s enforcement record on illegal mining across the political spectrum,” she said.
The Minority also asked the Court of Appeal to carefully review key decisions made during the trial, including the refusal to refer some legal issues to the Supreme Court and the decision to lift the corporate veil of Akonta Mining Company Limited.
“We call on the Court of Appeal to scrutinise the denial of counsel, the refusal to refer, and the veil piercing with equal and unflinching rigor,” Mrs Appiagyei stated.
She also urged the judiciary to reconsider the legal standard for constitutional referrals, referring to the Supreme Court’s ruling in the Zanator case.
“We call on the judiciary to reaffirm the threshold for constitutional referral with express regard to the Supreme Court’s own decision in the Zanator case,” she added.
The Minority’s comments come after an Accra High Court sentenced Chairman Wontumi to 20 years in prison with hard labour and fined Akonta Mining Company Limited over offences linked to illegal mining.
The Minority insists that while illegal mining must be fought, the law should be applied fairly to everyone, regardless of political affiliation.
Meanwhile, the Attorney General’s Office maintains that all prosecutions are based on evidence, not politics.
