Akonta Mining Trial: Wontumi Lawyers Seek Postponement of Judgement

Lawyers for Ashanti Regional NPP Chairman, Bernard Antwi-Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, and his company, Akonta Mining Limited, have filed an urgent application at the High Court seeking to postpone the delivery of Judgement in their ongoing illegal mining trial.

The application, filed before Justice Audrey Kocuvie-Tay on June 23, 2026, is asking the court to defer its scheduled July 3 judgment to allow newly engaged counsel, Samuel Atta Akyea, adequate time to review the case records and prepare written submissions.

The request follows the withdrawal of the defendants’ previous lawyer, Andy Appiah-Kubi, on June 11, 2026. He had represented Chairman Wontumi since October 2025 but reportedly stepped down citing dissatisfaction with aspects of the court proceedings.

In an affidavit in support of the motion, Mr. Atta Akyea argued that the late change in legal representation has left the defence at a disadvantage at a critical stage of the trial.

He told the court that effective preparation requires a thorough review of proceedings and proper legal analysis before final submissions are made.

“The progression of this criminal trial should be a thorough perusal of the record of proceedings and other processes which should be the basis of a serious perusal, research and the filing of a credible and competent written submission,” he stated.

The defence is relying on Article 19 of the 1992 Constitution, insisting that the accused persons are entitled to a fair trial, including effective legal representation throughout all stages of the proceedings.

Mr. Atta Akyea further noted that while the prosecution, led by the Attorney-General, is expected to file written submissions, the defence must also be given sufficient time to respond adequately.

He also told the court that although he has filed a notice of appearance and requested certified copies of the proceedings, the documents are yet to be released by the court registry.

According to him, the application is not intended to delay justice but to ensure fairness and proper preparation before Judgement is delivered.

“The sole purpose of this application is to enable me to obtain and peruse the record of proceedings before Judgement is delivered,” he said.

He added that granting the request would not prejudice the prosecution but would rather strengthen confidence in the judicial process by ensuring proper representation.

Chairman Wontumi and Akonta Mining Limited are standing trial over allegations of illegal mining activities in the Tano Nimiri Forest Reserve at Samreboi without authorization from the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources.

The prosecution alleges that the company continued mining operations despite being denied permission in August 2022, leading to the destruction of about 13 hectares of forest land.

The case has already gone through full trial, with both prosecution and defence calling witnesses.

The High Court is expected to rule on the application ahead of the scheduled judgment on July 3, 2026.