Samuel Atta Akyea, Lead Counsel for NPP Ashanti Regional Chairman Bernard Antwi Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, has disclosed that they have put together not less than twenty grounds of appeal to overturn his client 20 year sentencing.
In a news card shared by JOYFM, Lawyer Samuel Atta Akyea was quoted as saying, “We have assembled not less than twenty grounds of appeal to overturn Wontumi’s sentence”.
In related news, Samuel Atta Akyea, speaking in an interview with Channel One Newsroom on Tuesday, July 21, disclosed that Wontumi’s legal team will file a notice of appeal against his client’s conviction and sentencing next week.
Wontumi’s Lawyer argued that there are several legal grounds to challenge the High Court’s decision.
He highlighted constitutional issues, the treatment of prosecution witnesses, and the court’s interpretation of the alleged assignment of mineral rights.
Atta Akyea also welcomed indications that the NPP legal team intends to collaborate with him in pursuing the appeal.
Samuel Atta Akyea stated, “We’ve already put together our grounds of appeal, and it’s under consideration. Immediately the conclave agrees that what we have put together is very sound, we shouldn’t waste time. I’m tempted to believe that, at the latest by next week, we should file a notice of appeal”.
“What I’ve heard, which I will not subvert, is a hard fact that the NPP legal team wants to have a collaboration with me, which I will not resent. For one simple reason that when you have a congregation of lawyers, the quality or the output is always good,” he said.
Meanwhile, Martin Kpebu, a private legal practitioner, has cast doubt on the prospects of an appeal by Chairman Wontumi, following his conviction and 20-year prison sentence.
According to Lawyer Kpebu, he sees Wontumi’s conviction as a one-way street, as he sees no strong ground to overturn the NPP’s Ashanti Regional Chairman’s 20-year prison sentence.
Speaking on Joy FM’s News Night on Monday, July 20, Lawyer Kpebu stated, “This one, maybe I have a biased mind. It’s difficult. It’s difficult to really appreciate and come out with a strong ground of appeal for Wontumi”, he said.
“I think I see it as a one-way street, and in this one, he (Chairman Wontumi) is guilty as charged”.
Lawyer Kpebu recognised that lawyers often approach cases differently when acting for a client but indicated that he could not identify a convincing basis for reversing the conviction.
The private legal practitioner further made known that he would not have accepted instructions to represent Chairman Wontumi as he had previously been involved in efforts to have allegations against him investigated.
He added, “I can never even be a lawyer on his side, no. Because, you know, we had earlier on presented a petition against him”.
He further disclosed that their petition has been pending since 2022 due to the NPP regional chairman’s political influence.
“Our petition has been pending since 2022. That was in the Akufo-Addo administration, and it’s because of Wontumi’s political power, immense political power; the CID office at the time didn’t do much about it because of the obvious political influence”.
“So you see that because I’m not on Wontumi’s side, I can’t really see what grounds of appeal I would do for him. I mean, you said a strong one. You didn’t say what grounds can be formulated, but you meant a strong one. So I’m looking at what can get him free. I don’t see one”.
See the post below:
We have assembled not less than twenty grounds of appeal to overturn Wontumi's sentence – Samuel Atta Akyea#JoyNews #JoyFM #GhanaNews #JoyPrime #MyJoyOnline pic.twitter.com/fjDyft8num
— Joy 99.7 FM (@Joy997FM) July 21, 2026
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