Accra: Private legal practitioner Andy Appiah-Kubi has disclosed that Bernard Antwi-Boasiako, known as Chairman Wontumi and the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), was aware of his impending conviction before the Accra High Court delivered its judgment in the Samreboi illegal mining case.
According to Ghana Web, Appiah-Kubi, who previously represented Wontumi, revealed that the NPP chairman had informed him of the expected outcome of the case prior to the judgment being announced. "Chairman Wontumi had prior information that he would be convicted. He told me the content of the judgment. He told me that he will be jailed for twenty years," Appiah-Kubi stated.
Despite the conviction, Appiah-Kubi argued that the court's decision was flawed, contending that it improperly treated Chairman Wontumi and Akonta Mining as the same legal entity. He maintained that the evidence presented during the trial did not support the court's conclusion. "The evidence on the ground does not support the judgment. Per the company law, the company is different from the owner or shareholder," he said.
Appiah-Kubi noted that this legal distinction between the company and its shareholder would be a central argument in the appeal against the conviction. He further revealed that Wontumi had anticipated the outcome and instructed him earlier on the day of the judgment to file an appeal if the court found him guilty.
Chairman Wontumi was sentenced by the Accra High Court on July 20, 2026, to 20 years' imprisonment with hard labour after being convicted on illegal mining-related offences in the Samreboi case. His legal team has indicated plans to challenge both the conviction and the sentence on appeal.