Lawyer Samuel Atta Akyea has strongly rejected claims that he abandoned his client, Bernard Antwi Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, during one of the most critical moments of his legal battle.
The experienced lawyer came under public scrutiny after he was absent when the High Court delivered its judgment against the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party. However, Atta Akyea has explained that his absence was not an attempt to distance himself from Wontumi or the case.
Speaking on Joy FM’s Top Story on Tuesday, July 21, 2026, Atta Akyea disclosed that he had travelled to the United Kingdom to attend his daughter’s graduation ceremony. He described the occasion as an important family milestone that he could not afford to miss.
According to him, his decision to travel was also influenced by the defence team’s expectation that constitutional questions raised during the trial would first be referred to the Supreme Court.
Atta Akyea maintained that the defence had planned to move a motion seeking clarification from the country’s highest court. He believed the constitutional issues should have been resolved before the trial court proceeded to deliver its final decision.
The lawyer therefore dismissed suggestions that he deliberately left Wontumi without legal support at a decisive stage of the proceedings.
He insisted that his trip was undertaken for a legitimate family reason and not because he had lost interest in representing the embattled politician. Atta Akyea stressed that he remained committed to Wontumi’s legal defence despite being outside Ghana when the judgment was announced.
His explanation comes as Wontumi’s legal team prepares to challenge the High Court’s decision at the Court of Appeal. The defence argues that the trial was affected by constitutional and procedural irregularities that must be reviewed by a higher court.
Atta Akyea’s remarks are expected to calm speculation about his relationship with Wontumi while shifting attention to the next stage of the legal fight.
With an appeal being prepared, the lawyer has made it clear that his absence from court should not be interpreted as abandonment. For him, attending his daughter’s graduation was a deeply personal responsibility, but his commitment to defending Chairman Wontumi remains firmly intact.
