Bernard Antwi Boasiako aka Wontumi
The incarcerated former Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Bernard Antwi Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, would have to wait a little longer to find out whether a High Court will grant him a temporary release from prison as he appeals his 20-year jail term.
The court, which was expected to deliver a ruling on an application for bail pending appeal filed by his lawyers, could not sit on Wednesday due to the ongoing strike by members of the Judicial Service Staff Association of Ghana (JUSAG) over salary matters.
The application was initially scheduled to be heard on August 19, 2026, but had to be pushed to October 15 as the court did not sit that day due to the judge’s ill health.
The application was subsequently moved on October 15 and the court, presided over by Justice Audrey Kocuvie-Tay, adjourned it to last Wednesday to give a ruling on it.
But JUSAG’s industrial action which was announced last Friday and took effect on Monday, November 2, 2026, has impacted heavily on cases before courts across the country, with court users and litigants in limbo as to when their cases would be heard.
The Supreme Court is the only court currently conducting hearings since the commencement of the indefinite strike, as access to the courts have been restricted nationwide.
Entrenched Position
The leadership of JUSAG has taken a strong position on the matter, and have indicated their willingness to drag the industrial action until the impasse is resolved.
The Judicial Secretary, Musah Ahmed, in a statement issued on Monday, November 2, had indicated that the Chief Justice had directed that the Supreme Court should “convene for its normal business” on Tuesday, November 3, 2026.
“All counsel and parties with matters listed before the Court are advised to take note and govern themselves accordingly,” the statement added.
JUSAG on Friday, October 30, 2026, declared an indefinite nationwide strike beginning November 2, 2026, over the non-approval of the proposed 2026 salary review for staff of the Judicial Service.
“We wish to inform staff and the public that the strike is still on. When a revised and improved approval is received from the Government and satisfies our demands, we shall inform the public on the status of the strike,” the statement added.
Bail Pending Appeal
Chairman Wontumi was convicted and sentenced to 20 years’ imprisonment on July 20, 2026, by the court presided over by Justice Audrey Kocuvie-Tay for mining-related offences.
His lawyers have filed a notice of appeal and laid out 19 grounds challenging the decision of the High Court which found him guilty of facilitating others to mine on his company’s concession at Samreboi in the Western Region.
“The conviction proceeded upon grave errors of law which substantially affected the outcome of the trial, and the appeal discloses several exceptional circumstances warranting the exercise of this Honourable Court’s discretion in favour of the Applicant,” a portion of the application for bail pending appeal stated.
BY Gibril Abdul Razak