An aspiring Ashanti Regional Communications Officer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Ishaq Kyei-Brobbey, says the conviction and 20-year prison sentence handed to the party’s Ashanti Regional Chairman, Bernard Antwi Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, has come as a shock to him.Speaking on JoyNews after Wontumi’s conviction, Mr Kyei-Brobbey described the court’s decision as saddening, noting that Wontumi remains the party’s Ashanti Regional Chairman and has created opportunities for many party members, including himself.“The news has come as a shock to me. It’s a moment of mixed feelings because he is still the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party. He has not resigned, and he remains a leader of the party in the region,” he said.Mr Kyei-Brobbey said although he is not a legal practitioner, he believes the party should immediately pursue an appeal against the sentence.“I am not a lawyer, so it is difficult for me to make legal arguments, but I believe there is an opportunity for an appeal, and I hope it will be pursued expeditiously,” he stated.He expressed hope that the appellate process could result in Wontumi’s release or a reduction in his sentence, citing the founder of Heaven Way Champions International Ministry, Patricia Asiedua, popularly known as Nana Agradaa’s case, where convictions were reviewed on appeal.According to him, the party’s legal team should urgently assess the judgment and determine the next course of action.“I’m saddened by the outcome of the court case against Chairman Wontumi, and I’m praying that the legal brains and legal luminaries of the party and beyond will sit immediately and consider the next option,” he said.Mr Kyei-Brobbey added that while he was pleased with his own progress in the race for the Ashanti Regional Communications Officer position, the news of Wontumi’s conviction overshadowed the moment.He expressed optimism that the appeal process would be handled swiftly and could ultimately secure Wontumi’s freedom or a reduction in his sentence.His comments follow the Accra High Court’s decision to sentence Chairman Wontumi to 20 years’ imprisonment over illegal mining activities on the Samreboi concession in the Western Region.Justice Audrey Kocuvie-Tay, who presided over the Criminal Division of the High Court, delivered the sentence shortly after 11:40 am on Monday, July 20, 2026, bringing to an end one of Ghana’s most closely watched illegal mining prosecutions.The court also imposed a fine of 10,000 penalty units, equivalent to GH¢120,000, with a default sentence of three years’ imprisonment if the fine is not paid.