Presidential staffer Bridget Otoo has dismissed claims that President John Dramani Mahama's personal feelings influenced the imprisonment of Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Bernard Antwi Boasiako.

Her comments were in response to claims by ABC News Editor Gordon Asare-Bediako, who suggested that remarks made by Wontumi about President Mahama's family had deeply hurt the president.

Jailing Wontumi proves ORAL is still active - KSM

Speaking on Channel One, Gordon Asare-Bediako said some people within the NDC and NPP had suggested that respected individuals should intervene and apologise to President Mahama on Wontumi's behalf.

“To some extent I would share in that opinion because I spoke to a lot of people within the NDC and the NPP, some neutral people and they kept on talking to us that we should find some prominent people whom the president reveres so that they can go to him and then apologize on behalf of Chairman Wontumi or he goes there himself and apologize to him,” he said.

He further claimed that a source close to the First Family told him comments made by Wontumi about one of President Mahama's daughters had caused pain to both the president and his family.

“I happened to get closer to some people relatively closer to the first family. One of them told me that Chairman Wontumi made a certain comment about one of the daughters of President Mahama and it really hurt the president and the girl herself when she went to school,” he indicated.

Reacting to the claims in a post on X, Bridget Otoo dismissed the suggestion, insisting that Wontumi's legal troubles were unrelated to the president.

According to her, President Mahama does not concern himself with such comments and has no time for what she described as trivial matters.

She indicated that Wontumi's prosecution was based on alleged mining and EXIM Bank-related offences, not any personal grievance involving President Mahama.

Chairman Wontumi is a political prisoner - Sylvester Tetteh

"He’s a liar!!! The president doesn’t care about such comments nor does he waste his precious time on such ridiculous things! Wontumi was prosecuted for mining related crimes and he’s still being prosecuted for EXIM bank loan related crimes!!! Stop diverting attention on the substantive issues and leave the President’s name out!!!" she posted.

Chairman Wontumi is currently serving a 20-year prison sentence at Nsawam Prison after he was found guilty and convicted in the Samreboi illegal mining case.

He’s a liar!!! The president doesn’t care about such comments nor does he waste his precious time on such ridiculous things!
Wontummi was prosecuted for mining related crimes and he’s still being prosecuted for EXIM bank loan related crimes!!! Stop diverting attention on the… https://t.co/Nkn85F3j2L

— Bee 🐝 (@Bridget_Otoo) July 24, 2026