Story By: Akua Oteng Amponsah
Political Analyst, Dr. Richard Amoako Baah, has cautioned the New Patriotic Party (NPP) against seeking pardon for Bernard Antwi Boako, also known as Chairman Wontumi, from President John Mahama.
According to Dr. Baah, while it is not unethical to ask for pardon from someone you have wronged, the NPP should allow the law to take its rightful place in the case of Wontumi.
Commenting on Ghana Kasa, Dr. Baah expressed his views on the NPP’s intended courtesy visit to President Mahama to seek pardon for Wontumi.
He emphasized that the President is not a monarch who acts on his own whims, but rather a leader guided by the law. As such, the law should be allowed to take full effect.
“The President does not have the willpower to do anything he wants but rather acts in accordance with the law, and the same law should be allowed to take its due course,” Dr. Baah stated.
He added that the NPP, as a party comprising legal scholars, is aware of the legitimacy of the issues in contention and should understand that seeking pardon has nothing to do with the committed crime.
Dr. Baah pointed out that if Wontumi’s accusations were baseless or peddled on political sentiments, the court would have acted against it. “That is why we have the court,” he emphasized.
Unlike in other jurisdictions like the United States, where the law is in full force, Dr. Baah lamented that the Ghanaian legal space has been marred by unwarranted political theatrics, making it more of a kingship or chieftaincy affair.
The Political Analyst further questioned the timing of Wontumi’s insults against the President, recalling instances where Wontumi bragged about having more money than President Mahama.
Dr. Baah stressed that the matter at hand is a committed crime, and as such, the law should be allowed to take its full course.
“It is imperative that the law is given the opportunity to run its course, and Wontumi faces the consequences of his actions,” Dr. Baah emphasized.
