The Ashanti Regional Communications Director of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Paul Yandoh, has stated that the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the party, Bernard Antwi Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, could become the first national chairman of the NPP to be elected while serving a prison sentence.
Speaking in an interview on Okay FM on June 12, 2026, Yandoh noted that, judging from conversations surrounding Wontumi’s ongoing trial, with judgment scheduled for July 3, 2026, and comments made by his lawyer, Andy Appiah-Kubi, he believes Wontumi may be jailed.
Despite this, he insisted Wontumi would still win the election even from prison.
Paul Yandoh added that if Wontumi wins the election while incarcerated, the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) government would have no choice but to release him.
“When you listen to lawyer Appiah-Kubi, he says if the court follows the law and not public opinion, Wontumi will not be guilty of any crime. So, if a lawyer says this, is it not prison that you are going to?
“That would mean Wontumi will be the first national chairman to be elected while in prison. And the NDC government will have no option but to release him. We will vote for him and we will vote for him even in prison,” Yandoh emphasised.
Meanwhile, Lawyer Andy Appiah-Kubi has called on the Chief Justice to ensure public telecasts of high-profile cases in the country, in order to reveal what truly happens in court proceedings.
According to him, the courts are being turned into personal institutions for some individuals, while outside influence is taking precedence over evidence presented before the court.
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“I wish the Chief Justice would telecast some of these high-profile cases so people can see the real character of what is happening in our courts. I wish you could come to court and see the proceedings but some people outside the court are making all sorts of comments, saying he should be jailed,” he said.
Speaking in an interview on Asempa FM on June 11, 2026, Appiah-Kubi, who has filed a motion to withdraw his services as Wontumi’s lawyer in the high-profile case, stated that the court is being influenced from outside.
“Can we convict based on the evidence before the court? I always cry and pray that the court remains a court where judgments are made based on evidence presented in court and not at the whims of people outside it. If we are not careful, it will be as though one person acts and another is judged for it.
“I have filed a motion to withdraw from the case and I have stated my reasons in an affidavit. I will also caution that we should not judge people based on appearances, because injustice to one person is injustice to all,” he said.
He added that he intends to petition the Ghana Bar Association to address the matter.
“Today we are here, tomorrow we are here, and there is no breathing space. Is this the only case in the country? I am going to petition the Bar Association to ask whether they will sit and allow this to continue. Are we going to allow our courts to become someone’s institution?” he asked.
Appiah-Kubi confirmed that he has formally submitted an application to discontinue his legal representation.
He explained that his decision is not based on the expected outcome of the case and said he will reserve further comments until judgment is delivered.
Meanwhile, the trial involving Chairman Wontumi and Akonta Mining Limited over alleged illegal mining activities in Samreboi has officially concluded.
The Accra High Court has fixed July 3, 2026, to deliver its final judgment after both the prosecution and defence closed their cases and filed their final written submissions.
The accused face multiple charges, including allegations of facilitating unlicensed mining operations and transferring mineral rights without ministerial approval within the Samreboi concession area in Ghana’s Western Region.
The prosecution, led by the Attorney General’s Department, completed its case after calling several witnesses. The defence also called witnesses in response.
Justice Audrey Kocuvie-Tay, who is presiding over the case, has directed both sides to file their final written submissions by June 17, 2026.
Throughout the proceedings, Chairman Wontumi has remained on bail under conditions including a GH¢15 million bail bond, surrender of his passport, and a travel restriction.
The court is expected to deliver its final verdict on July 3, 2026.
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