Bernard Antwi Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, has filed an appeal against his conviction in the high-profile Samreboi illegal mining case, asking the Court of Appeal to overturn the entire judgment delivered by the Accra High Court.
The appeal was jointly filed by Mr Boasiako and Akonta Mining Company Limited following their conviction by the Accra High Court, Criminal Division 4, on July 20, 2026. The case, presided over by Justice Audrey Kocuvie-Tay, drew widespread public attention because it centred on allegations of illegal mining involving Akonta Mining, a company linked to the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party.
Following the conviction, the court imposed sanctions on the accused, prompting them to challenge the ruling at the Court of Appeal.
In their Notice of Appeal, Chairman Wontumi and Akonta Mining, identified as the first and third accused persons, said they were dissatisfied with the High Court’s decision and wanted the entire judgment set aside.
They argue that the convictions were unreasonable and could not be supported by the evidence presented during the trial.
The appellants also contend that the trial judge failed to properly interpret the Minerals and Mining Act, 2006 (Act 703), as amended.
According to the notice, the judge did not read the legislation as a whole, arguing that the combined effect of Sections 13(8) and 46 supports their innocence.
They further claim that the trial judge exceeded the court’s jurisdiction by interpreting constitutional provisions that, in their view, fall exclusively within the authority of the Supreme Court.
The appeal states that the judge wrongly interpreted Article 19(11) of the 1992 Constitution alongside Sections 14(1), 59 and 99(2)(b) of the Minerals and Mining Act, as amended by the Minerals and Mining Amendment Act, 2019 (Act 995), despite what the appellants describe as competing legal interpretations of the relevant provisions.
The Court of Appeal is expected to fix a date to hear the case, where Chairman Wontumi and Akonta Mining Company Limited will seek to have their convictions overturned and the High Court’s judgment set aside.
