No Legal Basis for Wontumi’s Conviction, Says Atta Akyea

Samuel Atta Akyea, the lead counsel for the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Bernard Antwi Boasiako, has vowed to challenge his client's 20-year prison sentence through the appellate courts.

Mr Atta Akyea argued on JoyFM's NewsNight that the prosecution's case was "poorly founded" and lacked direct evidence to justify the conviction. "I can tell you something which is very consequential. Looking at the poverty of the prosecution's case, I do not see how this judgement is founded on law and evidence," he said.

The prosecution's case relied heavily on witnesses who Mr Atta Akyea claimed should have been facing criminal charges themselves. "For the life of me, I can't believe how those who were supposed to be charged were instead called to testify against the man who gave them the opportunity to reclaim the land," he argued.

Mr Atta Akyea further rejected suggestions that allowing others to work on a mining concession amounts to transferring ownership or mineral rights. "When you have a farm, and you employ people to harvest cassava or work on it, does that mean you have assigned ownership of the farm to them? The absurdity is monstrous," he said.

The lawyer also criticised the trial court for dismissing constitutional issues raised by the defence, describing the decision as "an aberration of justice". "I raised constitutional issues for the consideration of the judge, but they were ignored. We will test these matters before the appellate courts," he said.

Mr Atta Akyea confirmed that the legal team will appeal the judgement at the Court of Appeal and, if necessary, proceed to the Supreme Court. "We will exercise every right available under the law. If we are unsuccessful at the Court of Appeal, we will proceed to the Supreme Court. We will use every legal avenue available to ensure that justice is done," he added.

The Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Bernard Antwi Boasiako, was convicted and sentenced to 20 years in prison for allegedly assigning his mining concession to individuals who then engaged in illegal mining activities.

Mr Atta Akyea maintained that the prosecution failed to produce direct evidence showing that Chairman Wontumi unlawfully assigned his mining concession or received any financial benefit from the alleged transaction. "Today we're talking about an assignment of a mining right. On whose mere say-so? The man has not said, 'Give me 250,000 US dollars and I will give you the concession.' They didn't testify to that. They never said he wanted money from them," he stated.

The former Akim Abuakwa South Member of Parliament also criticised the prosecution's reliance on circumstantial evidence rather than direct proof of any unlawful transfer of mining rights. "We will exercise every right available under the law to ensure that justice is done," he said.

The case has sparked widespread interest in the country, with many calling for a review of the trial's proceedings. Mr Atta Akyea's statement has raised hopes that the conviction may be overturned in the appellate courts.

Source: JOY