CHRAJ sets record straight on judge who sentenced Chairman Wontumi

The Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) has clarified that its Deputy Commissioner, Mercy Larbi, is not the High Court judge who sentenced Chairman Wontumi to 20 years in prison.

The clarification follows the circulation of her photograph on social media, with claims that she was the judge who presided over the case that led to the conviction of the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP).

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In a disclaimer issued on July 22, 2026, CHRAJ stated that Mercy Larbi neither heard the case nor delivered the judgment.

"The Commission states unequivocally that this Deputy Commissioner did not preside over the proceedings in question and is not the Judge responsible for the sentence being attributed to her," the statement said.

The Commission described the publications linking its Deputy Commissioner to the case as false and misleading.

"The publication and circulation of her photograph in connection with the sentence are false, misleading, and without factual basis," CHRAJ stated.

It warned that the false claims could mislead the public, weaken confidence in the administration of justice and unfairly damage the reputation of its Deputy Commissioner.

"Such misinformation has the tendency to mislead the public, undermine confidence in the administration of justice, and unjustly expose our Deputy Commissioner to unwarranted public criticism and reputational harm," the statement added.

CHRAJ further went ahead to urge the public to disregard the publications and avoid sharing them.

"The public is accordingly advised to disregard these publications and to refrain from sharing or reproducing them," it said.

According to CHRAJ, the false claims were widely publicized by some individuals and circulated on TikTok and Facebook. Screenshots accompanying their disclaimer showed those individuals claiming the deputy commissioner was Justice Audrey Kocuvie Tay.

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They therefore called on media houses, bloggers and content creators to verify information from credible sources before publishing.

MAG/VPO

BREAKING: Chairman Wontumi jailed 20 years in prison