Lawyers for the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Bernard Antwi-Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, have applied to the High Court for bail pending the determination of his appeal against a 20-year prison sentence imposed for illegal mining.

The application, filed by his legal team, Zoe, Akyea & Co., asks the court to grant the NPP stalwart temporary release from custody while the Court of Appeal considers the merits of his challenge to both the conviction and the sentence.

Chairman Wontumi is currently serving his custodial sentence at the Nsawam Medium Security Prison after being convicted over illegal mining activities at Samreboi.

In the motion before the High Court, his lawyers contend that he should be admitted to bail during the appellate process, arguing that the request is supported by the facts set out in an accompanying affidavit.

The application states that the court should admit the applicant to bail pending appeal and make any further orders it considers appropriate in the circumstances.

The latest filing represents another legal attempt by the defence to secure Wontumi's temporary release while the appellate court reviews the case. If the application succeeds, he will be freed on bail until a final decision is reached on his appeal.

The High Court is expected to determine whether the applicant has met the legal threshold required for the grant of bail pending appeal.

Chairman Wontumi was sentenced to 20 years' imprisonment after being found guilty of engaging in illegal mining, widely known as galamsey, at Samreboi. The conviction has drawn widespread public and political interest, making it one of the country's most closely watched prosecutions in the campaign against illegal mining.