The Accra High Court has dismissed an application by lawyer Andy Appiah Kubi seeking the court’s permission to withdraw as counsel for Bernard Antwi Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, in the ongoing Samreboi illegal mining case.
The court ruled that a lawyer does not require the court’s permission to discontinue legal representation through a formal motion.
The trial judge, Audrey Kocuvie-Tay, also stated that any change in legal representation would not affect the delivery of the court’s decision, which remains scheduled for 3rd July 2026.
The court further extended the deadline for filing final written addresses from 17th June to 23rd June 2026.
The ruling comes as the high profile illegal mining case enters its final stages. Chairman Wontumi, the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party, is standing trial over allegations linked to illegal mining activities on a concession at Samreboi in the Western North Region.
Prosecutors accuse him and his company, Akonta Mining Limited, of undertaking unlawful mining operations, entering forest reserves without authorisation and causing environmental damage, including the pollution of water bodies.
The state also alleges that he permitted third parties to carry out illegal mining activities on the concession without the required ministerial approval.
Chairman Wontumi has denied all the allegations. His legal team argues that the law allows a mining leaseholder to engage service providers for activities such as land reclamation without transferring mining rights. They maintain that no agreement amounted to an unlawful assignment of mineral rights.
The prosecution and defence have both concluded their cases, and the court is expected to deliver judgment on 3 July.
The Samreboi case is one of two major legal battles currently facing Chairman Wontumi.
In a separate case, he has been charged in connection with an alleged GH¢14.3 million fraud involving the Ghana Export Import Bank. Prosecutors claim that funds secured for a large scale maize farming project were obtained through false representations and later diverted for other purposes.
He faces charges including defrauding by false pretence, uttering forged documents, money laundering and causing financial loss to the state. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges.
That case was adjourned to 18th June 2026 for a Case Management Conference after his legal team informed the court of plans to pursue plea bargain discussions with the Attorney General’s office.
