Justice Audrey Kocuvie-Tay has emerged as one of Ghana’s most talked-about judicial figures following the dramatic 20-year prison sentence handed to New Patriotic Party Ashanti Regional Chairman Bernard Antwi-Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi.
The ruling, delivered at the Accra High Court on Monday, July 20, 2026, immediately placed Justice Kocuvie-Tay at the centre of a major political and legal conversation. Chairman Wontumi was convicted over mining-related offences involving Akonta Mining Company Limited and its operations at Samreboi in the Western Region.
Justice Kocuvie-Tay sentenced the influential politician and businessman to 20 years in prison for assigning mineral rights without the required approval from the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources. He was also handed another 20-year term for purposely facilitating an unlicensed mining operation.
However, the two sentences were ordered to run concurrently, meaning Chairman Wontumi will serve a total custodial sentence of 20 years rather than 40 years.
The historic judgment has attracted additional attention because Justice Kocuvie-Tay was elevated to the High Court during the administration of former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, under whose party Chairman Wontumi became a powerful regional political figure.
In September 2020, President Akufo-Addo swore Justice Kocuvie-Tay and 15 others into office as High Court judges at the Jubilee House. During the ceremony, the former president urged the judges to deliver justice without fear, favour, affection or ill will, regardless of the status or political affiliation of the people appearing before them.
Justice Kocuvie-Tay’s judicial career, however, began before the Akufo-Addo administration. She was sworn into office as a Circuit Court judge in July 2011 after successfully completing the required examinations, interviews and professional assessments. She was later elevated to the High Court under Akufo-Addo.
Her decision against Chairman Wontumi has therefore been viewed by some observers as a powerful demonstration of judicial independence. Despite being elevated during an NPP administration, she delivered one of the harshest judgments ever imposed on a prominent member of the party.
The ruling has transformed Justice Audrey Kocuvie-Tay from a relatively low-profile member of the judiciary into a nationally recognised name. As Chairman Wontumi and his legal team consider their next legal steps, the judge behind the explosive verdict is expected to remain firmly in the public spotlight.
