The High Court has issued a bench warrant for the arrest of Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Bernard Antwi Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, after he failed to appear in court without notice or permission.
When the case was called on Tuesday, October 28, both Chairman Wontumi and his legal team were absent, and no explanation was provided for their nonappearance.
The prosecution team, led by Chief State Attorney Stella Ohene Appiah, was present for the proceedings.
Presiding judge Justice Audrey Kocuvi-Tay expressed disappointment over the absence of the accused and his lawyers, stressing that they had offered “no excuse of any sort to the court.” She noted that the session was meant for the filing of disclosures and case management, aChairman Wontumi is standing trial alongside Kwame Antwi, a director of Akonta Mining Limited, and the company itself. They have been charged with assigning mineral rights without lawful authority.
The bench warrant means law enforcement officials have been authorized to arrest and present Chairman Wontumi before the court.
The case has drawn significant public attention due to Wontumi’s political position and the ongoing controversies surrounding Akonta Mining’s operations.
The company has previously faced scrutiny from environmental activists and government officials for alleged illegal mining activities in protected forest reserves, allegations it has repeatedly denied.
The court is expected to set a new date for the next hearing once the accused is brought before it.
