Samuel Atta Akyea Accuses Courts of Fast-Tracking Chairman Wontumi's Galamsey Trial
- Samuel Atta Akyea raised concerns about what he called an "indecent haste" in the prosecution of politically exposed persons in Ghana
- Atta Akyea argued that Chairman Wontumi's illegal mining case was assigned to a special court and heard on an accelerated schedule, unlike ordinary cases
- The criticism came days after the Accra High Court sentenced Chairman Wontumi to 20 years in prison for illegal mining on the Samreboi concession
Samuel Atta Akyea, lead counsel for New Patriotic Party (NPP) Ashanti Regional Chairman Bernard Antwi-Boasiako, widely known as Chairman Wontumi, has accused Ghana's courts of applying undue urgency to criminal cases involving politicians while neglecting the same diligence in civil and ordinary criminal matters.
Speaking on JoyNews' Newsfile on Saturday, July 25, the former Abuakwa South Member of Parliament argued that his client's galamsey prosecution was treated with a speed that bore no resemblance to how the wider judicial system normally operates.
Source: Facebook
Atta Akyea said that under standard court practice, judges exercise considerable discretion over scheduling, with adjournments regularly running for weeks or even months. He contended that Chairman Wontumi's trial followed a fundamentally different pattern.
"There seems to be an indecent haste to prosecute what I call political cases," he said.
He described a situation in which his client's case was routed to a special court whose judge effectively barred counsel from appearing in other courts simultaneously, demanding full and immediate attention. "This is a special case. They take it to a special court, and the judge will tell you that you can't go to another court and do another case while I am waiting," he said, questioning what legal basis justified such a demand.
The lawyer also challenged whether judges devote equivalent energy to civil litigation, particularly land disputes, which he said frequently drag on with lengthy adjournments and limited judicial urgency.
Wontumi Sentenced to 20 Years for Illegal Mining
Atta Akyea's remarks came less than a week after the Accra High Court delivered a judgment in the case.
On Monday, July 20, 2026, Justice Audrey Kocuvie-Tay of the Criminal Division handed Chairman Wontumi a 20-year custodial sentence for illegal mining activities on the Samreboi concession in the Western Region.
The ruling was delivered shortly after 11:40 a.m., concluding one of the most closely watched prosecutions linked to galamsey in recent Ghanaian legal history.
In addition to the prison term, the court imposed a fine of 10,000 penalty units, equivalent to GH¢120,000, with a further three-year default sentence if the fine goes unpaid.
Atta Akyea framed the speed of the trial as a systemic issue that risks creating a two-tiered justice system, one in which political proximity determines how swiftly the courts act.
He called for an audit of adjournment patterns across Ghana's courts to test whether the urgency applied in Chairman Wontumi's case is consistent with broader judicial practice.
Source: YEN.com.gh
