Tension filled the courtroom on Tuesday, October 28, as the criminal trial of New Patriotic Party (NPP) Ashanti Regional Chairman, Bernard Antwi Boasiako, widely known as Chairman Wontumi, took an unexpected turn.
Presiding Judge Justice Audrey Kocuvie-Tay of the High Court ordered a bench warrant for his arrest after realizing that neither the accused nor his legal team had appeared for the hearing without prior notice.
Before that development, Chief State Attorney Stella Ohene Appiah informed the court that the prosecution had yet to submit their disclosures. She explained that one of their witnesses had travelled outside Ghana and had not signed his witness statement, delaying the process.
“We were supposed to have filed our disclosures by today. My lady, we had a little issue with one of our witnesses who went out of the jurisdiction, so he could not sign his witness statement. We didn’t want to do a piece-meal filing,” Appiah told the court.
After being cautioned by the judge, the prosecution assured that the documents would be submitted by the end of the day.
Justice Kocuvie-Tay then turned her attention to the absent NPP Regional Chairman. “On 7 October 2025, when bail was granted and the matter was adjourned to today, the court did not fix any specific time for the accused to be in court, which means that the accused and his legal representation should be in court by 9 a.m. for the business of the day to start,” she said.
“Having not given any notice to the court as to their absence, a bench warrant is issued for the arrest of the accused persons,” she declared.
Moments after proceedings were adjourned, Chairman Wontumi appeared in the courtroom accompanied by his lawyers, led by Andy Appiah Kubi. Upon being briefed on what had transpired, his counsel requested permission to address the court and took responsibility for their earlier absence.
“This is the last time. This matter is between the state and him, and at any given time, he must be in court with or without you,” the judge remarked pointedly.
Although the bench warrant was later withdrawn, Justice Kocuvie-Tay issued a stern caution to the accused.
“The bench warrant issued is against him and not you, and if it is to be enforced, he will have to go and be somewhere. This should not happen again. If I give you 9 a.m., you must be here at 8:30 a.m.
“Having listened to counsel for the accused persons, the bench warrant is rescinded with a strong warning to the accused person to be punctual in court at any given date,” she added, according to a 3news report.
The matter has been postponed to November 4 for a case management conference.
Chairman Wontumi has pleaded not guilty to charges of assigning mineral rights without approval and facilitating an unlicensed mining operation. He remains on a GH¢15 million bail with three sureties, two of which must be justified.
According to prosecutors, the NPP regional chairman permitted Henry Okum, a native of Krobo Odumase, to mine in Akonta Mining’s concession in 2024 without obtaining authorization from the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources.
