By Grace Zigah
The legal battle over the continued detention of former New Patriotic Party (NPP) Ashanti Regional Chairman, Bernard Antwi-Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, has entered another critical stage, with the Accra High Court scheduled to rule on his application for bail pending appeal on November 4, 2026.
Justice Audrey Kocuvie-Tay fixed the date on Thursday, October 15, after hearing arguments from Wontumi’s legal team, led by former Abuakwa South MP, Samuel Atta Akyea, and the state, represented by Deputy Attorney-General Dr Justice Srem-Sai.
Wontumi is seeking temporary release from prison while he challenges his conviction and 20-year custodial sentence at the Court of Appeal. He was convicted in July 2026 over offences connected to mining activities at his Samreboi concession in the Western North Region, including permitting mining operations without the requisite approval from the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources.
At the hearing, Atta Akyea urged the court to grant his client bail, arguing that the circumstances surrounding the case justified his release while the appeal process continued.
He maintained that Wontumi needed to be out of custody to prepare his appeal effectively and participate in two other criminal cases he is facing.
The defence lawyer also disputed the suggestion that his client would abscond if released. According to him, Wontumi had complied with previous bail conditions before his conviction, a record he argued should be considered in assessing the risk of flight.
Atta Akyea further drew the court’s attention to the 19 grounds of appeal contained in the notice of appeal. He argued that the grounds had a reasonable prospect of success and should be considered in determining whether Wontumi deserved bail pending the outcome of the appellate proceedings.
The state, however, strongly opposed the application, insisting that the defence had not demonstrated the exceptional circumstances required to justify releasing a convicted person pending appeal.
Srem-Sai argued that the grounds raised by Wontumi’s lawyers were ordinary grounds commonly advanced by appellants challenging criminal convictions and did not, in themselves, establish a sufficient basis for bail.
On the question of whether Wontumi posed a flight risk, the Deputy Attorney-General contended that his conduct during the trial could not independently provide a reliable basis for concluding that he would remain available to face the law if released.
He also argued that the possibility of Wontumi receiving additional prison sentences in the other criminal cases he is facing could provide an incentive for him to abscond if granted temporary freedom.
In support of the state’s opposition, Dr Srem-Sai referred to a video involving Wontumi’s former lawyer, who allegedly spoke about a plan by the NPP figure to run over law enforcement officers to avoid arrest. The prosecution relied on the alleged incident as part of its argument against granting bail.
The allegations surrounding the video formed part of the state’s submissions and were not, by themselves, a determination by the court that Wontumi would flee if released.
Justice Kocuvie-Tay also sought an update from Atta Akyea on the progress of the appeal. The lawyer told the court that steps were being taken to compile the records of appeal for transmission to the Court of Appeal.
The compilation and transmission of the records are important to the next phase of the proceedings, as they will enable the appellate court to examine the trial proceedings and consider the grounds on which Wontumi is challenging his conviction and sentence.
The bail application comes amid Wontumi’s wider legal difficulties, including separate criminal proceedings relating to GH¢30 million loan obtained from the Ghana Export-Import Bank through Wontumi Farms Limited. He has pleaded not guilty to the charges in that case, which is scheduled for a case management conference on October 27.
