Bernard Antwi Boasiako aka Wontumi
The embattled Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Bernard Antwi Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, narrowly escaped spending a few days in custody after a High Court in Accra rescinded a bench warrant it issued for his arrest for missing his trial without permission.
Wontumi is on trial before the court for allegedly facilitating others to mine on his Akonta Mining Limited concession without legal authority.
He has pleaded not guilty to all the charges and was granted a bail of GH¢15 million by the court.
He was scheduled to reappear in court yesterday but both he and his lawyer, Andy Appiah-Kubi were absent when the case was called.
Although the judge, Justice Audrey Kocuvie-Tay, conceded that no exact time was fixed for yesterday’s hearing, she said “…the accused and his legal representation should be in court by 9am for the business of the day to start.”
“Having not given any notice to the court as to their absence, a bench warrant is issued for the arrest of the accused person,” the court ordered.
Appearance
Just about five minutes after the court issued the bench warrant, Wontumi and is legal representatives showed up in court.
The judge had risen at the time, so they had to wait for close to two hours before the court resumed sitting.
Andy Appiah-Kubi then explained to the court that they were under the impression that the case was scheduled for 10 a.m., which was why they came some few minutes to 10 a.m.
He took the blame for misinforming the accused and apologised to the court for the inconvenience.
Justice Kocuvie-Tay issued a stern warning to Wontumi, urging him to be punctual, stating that “If I give you 9, you should lay your bed here at 8:30.”
She added that “this is the last time. This matter is between the state and him [Wontumi] and at any given time he must be in court with or without you [lawyer],” before she rescinded the bench warrant.
Overdrive
Meanwhile, the court has rebuked the Office of the Attorney General for failing to file its disclosures and witnesses’ statement as ordered by the court.
The court had given the prosecution up to yesterday to file all the documents they will be relying on for the trial and serve same on the accused person.
However, Stella Ohene Appiah, a Chief State Attorney told the court that they had not been able to file the documents because one of their witnesses was out of town and could not sign the witness statement.
She requested for the case to be adjourned to November 11, 2025, but the judge did not grant her request, stating that it was too far out.
When asked why she suggested such a long adjournment, Madam Ohene Appiah suggested it was due to the workload, but the court said “you said you want work and now you are in overdrive and you are complaining.”
She further pointed to media statements which suggests that the Office is prosecuting cases. “You are in the media saying ‘we are prosecuting, we are prosecuting’,” she stressed.
She also reminded the prosecutor that judges tend to take the blame for adjournment of cases, and subsequently adjourned the case to November 4, 2025.
Trial
Wontumi has been charged with one count of assignment of mineral rights without approval, and another count of purposely facilitating an unlicensed mining operation, contrary to Section 99(2)(b) of the Minerals and Mining Act, 2006 (Act 703) as amended by Section 3 of the Minerals and Mining (Amendment) Act, 2019 (Act 995).
His company, Akonta Mining and another person identified as Kwame Antwi, who is on the run, have been charged with the same offences.
BY Gibril Abdul Razak