The Ghana Prisons Service has moved to calm growing concerns surrounding Bernard Antwi-Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, insisting that the former Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party is safe at the Nsawam Prison and is not receiving any special treatment.
The assurance follows allegations from Wontumi’s spokesperson, Dr. Palgrave Boakye-Danquah, that some inmates had discussed a possible attempt to poison him while in custody. Prison authorities say they have opened an investigation to establish whether the allegation has any basis.
Chief Public Relations Officer of the Ghana Prisons Service, CSP Abdul Latif, said authorities had been informed of the allegation through Wontumi’s spokesperson rather than through a direct complaint from Wontumi himself.
Despite the concern, Latif stressed that prison officials currently have no reason to believe Wontumi is unsafe.
“We can say that Wontumi is safe and there’s nothing to worry about when it comes to his security in the prison,” he said.
No Special Treatment for Wontumi
The Prisons Service also rejected suggestions that Wontumi is enjoying privileged conditions because of his political status.
According to Latif, prison regulations apply equally to inmates and do not provide separate rules for high-profile prisoners. He said Wontumi is being subjected to the same institutional rules as other prisoners at Nsawam.
The spokesperson also pointed to overcrowding at the facility, saying Nsawam, originally designed for roughly 851 inmates, currently accommodates more than 3,000 prisoners.
Prison officials further disputed a claim that five inmates had already been moved from their cells because of the alleged poisoning plot. Latif said he could not confirm that such transfers had occurred.
Wontumi is currently serving a 20-year prison sentence after being convicted over unauthorized mining activities on his Samreboi concession. He is challenging the conviction and sentence at the Court of Appeal.
For now, prison authorities say investigations into the alleged threat are continuing while Wontumi remains under their custody at Nsawam.
