Lawyer for New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) Regional chairman in the Ashanti Region, Andy Appiah-Kubi, has stepped down from his role in the ongoing Akonta Mining criminal case.
The attorney for Chairman Bernard Antwi-Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, expressed concerns regarding the conduct of the proceedings and the court’s management of the situation.
Speaking on Eyewitness News on Thursday, June 11, he revealed that his choice was primarily shaped by his dissatisfaction with the court’s attitude, record, and decisions regarding the management of the case.
“I have formally withdrawn from the Akonta Mining case in Criminal Court 4, providing detailed reasons in the affidavit accompanying my motion. My dissatisfaction lies in the approach, history, and decisions of the court thus far in addressing these issues presented before it”, he bemoaned.
The former MP for Asante-Akyem North also shot down claims that his decision to step down was connected to the plea bargaining talks surrounding Chairman Wontumi in the EXIM Bank fraud case, indicating that the two cases are separate and should not be mixed up.
He however emphasized that his withdrawal is restricted to the prosecution of Akonta Mining and that he would still defend Chairman Wontumi in all of his other legal cases, including the current EXIM Bank lawsuit.
His remarks follow a court adjournment of proceedings until June 16 to allow for the continuation of the cross-examination of a prosecution witness in the ongoing case involving Bernard Antwi-Boasiako, the Republic, Akonta Mining Limited, and the courts.
The prosecution statement alleged in the ongoing court proceedings that Akonta Mining Company mined in the Tano Nimiri Forest Reserve without getting the requisite permits from the relevant state agencies, such as the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources.
The suspect and his company have rejected any wrongdoing. Meanwhile, the trial forms part of a coordinated effort by the government to address illicit mining known as galamsey which has become a national threat to Ghana’s vegetation cover.
