The legal battle surrounding Bernard Antwi-Boasiako, widely known as Chairman Wontumi, is set to enter a dramatic new phase after his lead counsel, Samuel Atta Akyea, confirmed that an appeal against his conviction will be filed next week.
Atta Akyea revealed that Wontumi’s defence team is finalising its arguments and preparing to formally approach the Court of Appeal. The lawyers are also expected to submit an application seeking bail for the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party while the appeal is being considered.
The announcement follows the Accra High Court’s decision to sentence Wontumi to 20 years in prison in connection with the Akonta Mining illegal-mining case. The charges related to the alleged unlawful assignment of mineral rights and the facilitation of unauthorised mining activities on the company’s concession at Samreboi in the Western Region.
According to Atta Akyea, the proposed grounds of appeal have already been prepared and are undergoing a final review by the legal team. He indicated that the lawyers would move quickly once they were satisfied that their arguments were strong enough to be presented before the appellate court.
The former Abuakwa South Member of Parliament maintained that several legal and constitutional matters arising from the trial require further examination. Among the issues expected to be challenged are the court’s handling of constitutional questions, its assessment of prosecution evidence and its interpretation of the alleged transfer of mineral rights.
Atta Akyea has also questioned the severity of the sentence, arguing that the court should have considered imposing the minimum punishment, especially because he described Wontumi as a first-time offender. However, the success of both the appeal and the bail application will ultimately depend on the decisions of the appellate judges.
The planned appeal does not automatically cancel the conviction or secure Wontumi’s release. Instead, it will give his legal team an opportunity to persuade a higher court that errors were made during the trial or in the interpretation and application of the law.
The case has generated intense political and public debate, with Wontumi’s supporters calling for the judgment to be overturned while others view the conviction as an important moment in Ghana’s campaign against illegal mining.
With the notice of appeal expected next week, attention will now shift to the Court of Appeal. Wontumi’s legal team will be seeking to overturn the judgment, challenge the prison sentence and possibly secure his temporary release as one of Ghana’s most closely watched legal battles continues.
