The High Court has granted Bernard Antwi Bosiako, Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party and chief executive of Akonta Mining, a final opportunity to file his witness statements in the ongoing Samreboi illegal mining case, marking a critical procedural turning point in a trial that has drawn significant public and legal attention.
Bosiako, widely known as Chairman Wontumi, is standing trial over allegations that he permitted unauthorised mining activities on his concession at Samreboi without the required approval from the sector minister. The case forms part of broader national efforts to clamp down on illegal mining, which continues to raise environmental and regulatory concerns across key mining regions.
The court’s latest directive comes after the accused failed to meet an April 14, 2026 deadline previously set for the submission of witness statements. This follows an earlier instruction requiring him to file by March 16, 2026, which also went unfulfilled.
At the close of the prosecution’s case, the court had formally ordered the accused to open his defence, outlining several procedural options available to him, including testifying in person, calling witnesses, or making an unsworn statement. However, instead of proceeding with his defence, Bosiako’s legal team filed an appeal challenging the prosecution’s submission of a no case to answer ruling at the Court of Appeal. They also sought a stay of proceedings at the trial court pending the outcome of that appeal.
That application was rejected. The court maintained that the filing of an appeal does not automatically halt proceedings, and consequently reaffirmed the requirement for Bosiako to comply with earlier directives.
When the matter was called on Monday, April 20, 2026, at the High Court for a case management conference, counsel for the accused informed the court that a fresh application for stay of proceedings had been filed at the Court of Appeal. On that basis, they requested an adjournment to await the appellate court’s ruling.
The request, however, was strongly opposed by Deputy Attorney General Justice Srem-Sai, who characterised the repeated applications as a deliberate attempt to delay proceedings. He argued that such filings do not constitute automatic grounds for suspension of a trial and urged the court to proceed, stating that the accused had failed to properly advance his defence within the stipulated timelines.
Presiding judge Audrey Kocuvie-Tay declined the request for adjournment, maintaining the court’s commitment to procedural efficiency. Instead, she issued a firm directive requiring Bosiako to file his witness statements by May 5, 2026, ahead of a scheduled case management conference set for May 7.
The judge further indicated that proceedings would continue in parallel while the court awaits the outcome of the pending appeal at the Court of Appeal, effectively ensuring that the trial remains active despite ongoing interlocutory applications.
The decision places the accused under renewed legal pressure as the case advances toward its next phase, with the court signalling limited tolerance for procedural delays. The ruling also reinforces the judiciary’s position on maintaining momentum in high profile environmental and regulatory cases, particularly those linked to illegal mining activities, which have become a major national policy concern.
As the matter progresses, attention will remain focused on whether the defence meets the newly imposed deadline and how the appellate court responds to the pending application, both of which are likely to shape the next stage of the proceedings.
