Chairman Wontumi’s court case adjourned; Court to rule on July 20

• The High Court has adjourned Chairman Wontumi’s illegal mining case and set July 20, 2026, for judgment.

• Wontumi’s new lawyer, Samuel Atta Akyea, requested more time to review case documents and file written submissions.

• The Samreboi case remains one of Ghana’s closely watched legal battles tied to illegal mining, commonly known as galamsey.

The High Court has adjourned proceedings in the Samreboi illegal mining case involving Bernard Antwi Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, granting his legal team additional time to review case documents and file written submissions ahead of judgment.

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Wontumi, the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP), is standing trial alongside 2 others in a case linked to alleged illegal mining activities, commonly referred to as ‘galamsey’.

Following submissions from both the prosecution and defence, the court granted an extension of time from June 29 to July 13, 2026, for the defence to file any written address it intends to rely on before judgment.

The court subsequently fixed July 20, 2026, at 9:00 a.m., for the expected delivery of judgment.

The adjournment comes after lawyer Samuel Atta Akyea, formally took over Wontumi’s defence.

Speaking to the media after the hearing, Atta Akyea explained that the defence sought more time because the new legal team needed to fully examine the case records before proceeding.

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He added:

The case comes amid the country’s efforts to crackdown on illegal mining, an issue that has dominated national discourse due to its devastating environmental impact, particularly on forest reserves and water bodies. 

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Successive governments have pledged stronger enforcement against illegal small-scale mining, which has been blamed for severe pollution of major rivers.

Chairman Wontumi has been linked to mining-related controversies in the past, drawing both political scrutiny and public debate over the role of politically exposed persons in the fight against illegal mining. 

The Samreboi case has attracted significant national attention because of both the environmental implications and Wontumi’s political stature within the NPP.