The High Court in Accra has given the legal team of the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Bernard Antwi Boasiako, widely known as Chairman Wontumi, more time to file its written address in the criminal case linked to alleged illegal mining activities at Samreboi.
The decision, delivered during proceedings on Monday, June 29, 2026, grants Wontumi’s newly appointed lead counsel, Samuel Atta Akyea, until July 13, 2026, to submit his written legal arguments before the court considers its final ruling.
Following the extension, the presiding judge adjourned the matter to July 20, 2026, when judgment is expected to be delivered after reviewing submissions from both the prosecution and the defence.
The extension follows the appointment of Mr Atta Akyea, a former Member of Parliament for Abuakwa South, who recently took over Wontumi’s defence after the withdrawal of the previous lead lawyer, Andy Appiah-Kubi. After assuming responsibility for the case, the new defence counsel requested a postponement of the scheduled judgment, arguing that he needed sufficient time to review the voluminous court records and prepare a detailed written address.
The Office of the Attorney-General initially opposed the application, describing it as lacking merit. In an affidavit filed on June 25, Senior State Attorney Nana Ama Prempeh contended that Chairman Wontumi had been represented by counsel throughout the trial and that the decision of his former lawyer to withdraw was voluntary. The prosecution also argued that any necessary case materials or briefings should have been obtained from outgoing counsel rather than through an application to the court.
The Attorney-General’s Office further questioned the basis of the request, maintaining that a change in legal representation did not constitute sufficient grounds for delaying the proceedings.
However, when the case was called on Monday, the prosecution did not object to the request for additional time. The court subsequently granted the extension and scheduled July 20, 2026, for judgment.
Chairman Wontumi is facing trial over allegations connected to the activities of Akonta Mining, a company associated with him, in relation to alleged illegal mining operations in the Samreboi area of the Western North Region.
The prosecution forms part of the state’s broader campaign against illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey, which authorities say continues to pose a significant threat to the country’s forests, water bodies and mineral resources.
