Bernard Antwi Boasiako, the New Patriotic Party’s prospective national chairman, has been given one last chance to submit his witness statement.
This came after he appeared in an Accra High Court on Monday and asked the judge to halt the case while he filed an appeal with the Court of Appeal.
In light of this, after missing an earlier court-mandated deadline, Bernard Antwi Boasiako, better known as Chairman Wontumi, was given a final deadline of May 5, 2026, to submit witness testimony in the Samreboi unlawful mining case.
This came when Justice Srem-Sai, the deputy attorney general, asked the court to find Mr. Antwi Bosiako guilty of neglecting to submit his witness statement.
Following the court proceedings, Mr. Antwi Boasiako’s attorney told the media that it was regrettable that the Deputy Attorney General had asked the court to convict the accused, who hasn’t even presented a defence.
He claimed that coming from Justice Srem-Sai, a Minister of Justice who ought to oversee just court rulings, left much to be desired.
Andy Appiah-Kubi claims that this is inappropriate for the AG, who is eager to get someone convicted in a criminal prosecution.
He said that a procedure filed at the Court of Appeal, whose ruling may have an impact on the case at the High Court, prevented them from filing a witness statement.
He argues that a clause in the constitution mandates that an accused person be given enough time, resources, and preparation to be able to defend oneself during their trial.
He stated that after filing this, they believed the High Court ought to halt the proceedings until the Court of Appeal heard their appeal.
Chairman Wontumi and his business are accused on six counts of assisting unlawful mining operations and allowing Henry Okum and Michael Gyedu Ayisi to mine on the company’s concession without the sector minister’s prior clearance.
Recall that the High Court ordered the accused to submit their witness statements by April 14, 2026, after ruling in March of this year that the prosecution had established a prima facie case against them.
Source: newsthemegh.com