Akonta Mining Case: Court Gives Wontumi Final Window to Submit Witness Statement
Court rejects adjournment request and directs NPP Chairman to file defence as trial proceeds
- The High Court in Accra has given Chairman Wontumi a final deadline of May 5, 2026, to file his witness statements
- The court rejected a request by his lawyers to adjourn proceedings pending a Court of Appeal ruling
- Trial proceedings will continue despite ongoing legal applications, as the court pushes forward with the case
The Criminal Division of the High Court in Accra has granted Bernard Antwi-Boasiako, the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party, one final opportunity to file his witness statements in the ongoing Akonta Mining case, if he chooses to proceed with his defence.
Presiding judge Justice Audrey Kocouvi-Tey issued the directive after Wontumi failed to meet an earlier deadline of April 14, 2026.
Wontumi is standing trial over claims that he allowed unauthorised mining activities on his Akonta Mining concession in Samreboi.
At the close of the prosecution’s case, the court directed him to open his defence, outlining options such as testifying personally, calling witnesses, or making an unsworn statement. He was initially required to submit his witness statements by March 16, 2026.
However, instead of complying, he filed an appeal at the Court of Appeal challenging the dismissal of his submission of no case and also sought to halt proceedings at the High Court pending the appeal outcome.
The trial court rejected the request to stay proceedings and ordered him to file his witness statements by April 14 ahead of a scheduled case management conference.
When the case was called on April 20, defence counsel Andy Appiah Kubi informed the court that a fresh application seeking a stay of proceedings had been filed at the appellate court and requested an adjournment.
This request was opposed by Deputy Attorney-General Justice Srem-Sai, who argued that the move was a delay tactic. He maintained that filing a new application does not automatically halt proceedings and urged the court to move forward, citing the accused’s failure to present a defence.
Justice Kocouvi-Tey dismissed the request for adjournment and ordered Wontumi to submit his witness statements by May 5, 2026, ahead of the next case management conference scheduled for May 7. She further ruled that proceedings would continue while awaiting the Court of Appeal’s decision.
