Ghana Attorney General Blocks Request to Postpone Wontumi Mining Trial Judgment

The Attorney General’s Office in Ghana filed a 13‑paragraph affidavit opposing an application to delay the delivery of judgment in the criminal trial of Bernard Antwi‑Boasiako, the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party, over alleged illegal mining at Samreboi. The filing argues that the accused has been represented by counsel throughout the trial and that the withdrawal of his former lawyer was voluntary, so the request to obtain case records directly from the court registry lacks merit.

Defence lawyers for Antwi‑Boasiako and his company, Akonta Mining Limited, have sought to postpone the scheduled July 3, 2026 judgment, citing the recent change of lead counsel to Samuel Atta Akyea and invoking Article 19 of Ghana’s Constitution, which guarantees the right to a fair hearing and effective legal representation. They contend that the new counsel needs adequate time to review the extensive trial record before preparing final written submissions.