Chairman Wontumi has not yet been officially confirmed as one of the 863 convicted persons pardoned by President John Dramani Mahama, according to his spokesperson, Dr Palgrave Boakye Danquah.
Dr Boakye Danquah said Wontumi’s team is still waiting for formal communication from the relevant authorities before determining whether the former Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party is included in the presidential pardon.
President Mahama announced on Monday that he had exercised the prerogative of mercy under Article 72(1) of the 1992 Constitution, following consultation with the Council of State, granting pardons to 863 convicted persons across the country.
Wontumi’s name remains unconfirmed
According to Dr Boakye Danquah, the team has not received any official communication indicating that Wontumi is among the beneficiaries.
He said the team would wait for the authorities to release the relevant details before making a definitive statement about Wontumi’s status.
“We don’t have the fine details yet and so if we are yet to be communicated to, we will let the public know,” he said.
He added that if Wontumi’s name appears among the beneficiaries, the team’s expectation is that it would fall under the Special Recommendation or Petition category.
Mahama’s pardon covers 863 convicts
The presidential exercise covers several categories of convicted persons, including first offenders, people aged 70 and above, seriously ill inmates, persons whose death sentences have been commuted to life imprisonment and individuals whose life sentences have been reduced to 20 years.
The categories also include individuals considered under special recommendations and petitions.
The announcement has generated considerable public interest, particularly over the status of high-profile prisoners whose names could potentially fall within the different categories.
Wontumi’s legal team focused on October 15
While waiting for clarification on the pardon, Wontumi’s legal team is also pursuing an application for bail pending the determination of his appeal.
Dr Boakye Danquah said the team remains hopeful that the appeal will succeed and that the court will grant bail pending the outcome of the legal process.
“We are just praying that the appeal goes through and also we are praying that the bail pending the appeal goes through,” he said.
Wontumi’s case has attracted significant public attention because of his political profile and the circumstances surrounding his conviction and subsequent sentence.
For now, Wontumi’s inclusion in Mahama’s list of 863 pardoned convicts remains unconfirmed. His team says it will wait for official communication before drawing any conclusions about whether the presidential clemency applies to him.
Readers can follow further developments through Ghana Media’s Politics coverage and our Ghana News section.
