Also known as: Andy Appiah Kubi · defence counsel Andy Appiah-Kubi · Mr Appiah-Kubi · Mr. Appiah-Kubi
Lead counsel for Ashanti Regional NPP Chairman Bernard Antwi-Boasiako in fraud and illegal mining trials; has withdrawn from mining case citing judicial process concerns.
Andy Appiah-Kubi, lawyer for Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Bernard Antwi Boasiako, popularly known as Wontumi, has clarified that his client’s decision to initiate plea bargain discussions with the state in the ongoing criminal trial over an alleged …
… Andy Appiah-Kubi, Esq., wrote to the Attorney-General on June 5, 2026, requesting the initiation of plea negotiations in respect of the charges in the trial. …
… day that he intends to treat Detective Chief Inspector Eugene Akpoh Glover as a “star witness.” At the ongoing trial of Boasiako, a businessman and Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), in the Tano Nnimire illegal mining case, defence lawyer Andy Appiah-Kubi …
… day that he intends to treat Detective Chief Inspector Eugene Akpoh Glover as a “star witness.” At the ongoing trial of Boasiako, a businessman and Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), in the Tano Nnimire illegal mining case, defence lawyer Andy Appiah-Kubi …
… While under cross-examination by Andy Appiah-Kubi, he indicated that he had never interacted with Chairman Wontumi on a personal level and had no documentary evidence showing Wontumi had assigned or transferred the concession to anyone. …
… The prosecution put it to him that his business model involved acquiring mining leases and allowing others to engage in illegal mining for a share of the proceeds, a claim he described as “falsehood with no evidence.” Meanwhile, defence counsel Andy Appiah-Kubi prayed the court f …
… The directive was issued in the case Republic v Bernard Antwi Boasiako & 2 Others after counsel for the accused, Andy Appiah-Kubi, prayed the court for more time to call further witnesses following testimony already given by Chairman Wontumi himself. …
… Chairman Wontumi, who appeared before the court presided over by Justice Halimah El-Alawa Abdul-Baasit, has since been admitted to bail following a prayer for bail by his lawyer, Andy Appiah-Kubi. …
… The man at the centre Mr Frimpong, widely known as OK Frimpong, won the Asante Akyem North seat in the 2024 general election as an independent candidate, polling 70.25 per cent of the valid votes cast and defeating the NPP incumbent, Mr Andy Appiah-Kubi, in one of the biggest par …
… The defence team, led by lawyer Andy Appiah-Kubi, has argued that Chairman Wontumi’s decision to allow the two individuals to operate on the concession did not amount to an assignment of mineral rights because there was no written agreement. …
Under Ghana's Legal Profession Act and rules, lawyers cannot withdraw from representing a client without "good cause," though optional withdrawal is permitted in cases of lost confidence or unpaid fees, and mandatory withdrawal is required in certain circumstances. The article examines this framework in the context of a lead defence counsel seeking to withdraw from the high-profile Samaraboi/Akonta Mining criminal case after trial conclusion.
Under Ghana's Legal Profession Act and rules, lawyers cannot withdraw from representing a client without "good cause," though optional withdrawal is permitted in cases of lost confidence or unpaid fees, and mandatory withdrawal is required in certain circumstances. The article examines this framework in the context of a lead defence counsel seeking to withdraw from the high-profile Samaraboi/Akonta Mining criminal case after trial conclusion.
The High Court in Accra has dismissed lawyer Andy Appiah-Kubi's application to withdraw from the criminal case involving Akonta Mining Company Limited, Kwame Antwi, and Chairman Wontumi, after the Attorney-General objected that no legal requirement exists for counsel to seek court permission before withdrawing. The case has been adjourned to July 3, 2026, for judgment, with a new deadline of June 24, 2026, for closing addresses.
The Member of Parliament for Akwatia has called for clarity and accountability in ongoing plea negotiations involving the Ashanti Regional NPP Chairman, who is standing trial over an alleged GH¢14.3 million loan fraud linked to the Ghana Export-Import Bank. The MP stressed that while plea bargaining is legitimate, any settlement must not obscure accountability.
Manhyia South MP Nana Agyei Baffour Awuah has clarified that plea negotiations initiated by Ashanti Regional NPP Chairman Bernard Antwi-Boasiako (Chairman Wontumi) in an alleged GH¢14.3 million Exim Bank loan fraud case should not be viewed as an admission of guilt, describing it as a legal strategy available to both prosecution and defence teams.
Joy Prime's Saturday current affairs programme will feature panel discussions on Chairman Wontumi's plea bargain negotiations and his lawyer's withdrawal from court, the extradition and imprisonment of former MASLOC CEO Sedina Tamakloe Attionu, and President Mahama's latest approval ratings from the Institute of Economic Affairs.
The Attorney-General has filed a preliminary legal objection at the High Court to block defence lawyer Andy Appiah-Kubi's application to withdraw from the criminal case involving Ashanti Regional NPP Chairman Bernard Antwi-Boasiako and others. The State's objection raises grounds of jurisdiction, capacity, and standing, arguing the withdrawal application raises fundamental legal questions requiring judicial determination.
Andy Appiah-Kubi, the lead lawyer for NPP Ashanti chairman Bernard Antwi-Boasiako (Chairman Wontumi), has walked away from defending him in an illegal mining case for the second time in over a year, citing "unseen influences" compromising the trial's integrity. The departure comes as judgment is due July 3 and as Wontumi separately seeks plea negotiations in a fraud case involving the Ghana Export-Import Bank.
Andy Appiah-Kubi, counsel for Ashanti Regional NPP Chairman Bernard Antwi-Boasiako, has advocated live broadcasting of high-profile criminal trials to enhance transparency and public confidence in the justice system. He argued that greater public scrutiny of court proceedings would help address concerns about fairness and accountability.
Andy Appiah-Kubi, counsel for NPP Ashanti Regional Chairman Bernard Antwi-Boasiako (Chairman Wontumi), has withdrawn from one of the high-profile criminal cases involving his client pending before the High Court in Accra. The lawyer cited various concerns surrounding the judicial proceedings, including questions about fairness and the court's insistence on his personal appearance despite prior notification of scheduling conflicts.
Bernard Antwi-Boasiako, Ashanti regional chairman of the opposition NPP and a businessman known as Chairman Wontumi, has asked prosecutors to negotiate a plea bargain in a multi-million-cedi bank fraud case related to Ghana Export-Import Bank. He is simultaneously fighting two other cases concerning alleged illegal mining and running for the NPP's national chairmanship.
Andy Appiah-Kubi, lawyer for NPP Ashanti Regional Chairman Bernard Antwi Boasiako (Wontumi), says his client's initiation of plea bargain discussions in the GH¢14.3 million loan fraud case against Exim Bank does not constitute an admission of guilt, but rather an effort to resolve legal issues under Ghana's Criminal Procedure Act framework.
Bernard Antwi-Boasiako (Chairman Wontumi), Ashanti Regional Chairman of the NPP, has formally requested plea negotiations with the Attorney-General in his trial over an alleged GH¢14.3 million loan fraud involving the Ghana Export-Import Bank. Wontumi and co-accused face charges of defrauding by false pretence, forging documents, money laundering, and causing financial loss to a public institution.
Defence counsel for Bernard Antwi Boasiako in the Tano Nnimire illegal mining trial told an Accra High Court on Monday that he intends to use Detective Chief Inspector Eugene Akpoh Glover as a "star witness." During cross-examination, the investigator maintained his findings were factual but acknowledged he had no direct evidence placing Boasiako at the mining site and had not personally met the listed complainants.
Defence counsel for Bernard Antwi Boasiako (Wontumi), on trial in an illegal mining case, told Accra High Court on Monday that he plans to treat Detective Chief Inspector Eugene Akpoh Glover as a "star witness" after the prosecution withdrew two witnesses. Under cross-examination, Glover maintained his findings were factual but acknowledged there was no direct evidence placing Boasiako at the Tano Nnimire Forest Reserve site and that investigations indicated Boasiako had not personally been there.
A High Court in Accra has scheduled July 3, 2026 to deliver judgment in the trial of NPP Ashanti Regional Chairman Bernard Antwi Boasiako (Wontumi), who is accused of facilitating unlicensed mining on his Akonta Mining Company Limited's Samreboi concession without ministerial approval. He and his company face charges of assignment of mineral rights without approval and purposely facilitating an unlicensed mining operation under the Minerals and Mining Act.
Ashanti Regional NPP Chairman Bernard Antwi-Boasiako testified before the High Court that individuals who claimed ownership of seized items have been turned into prosecution witnesses against him, while denying involvement in illegal mining activities on a concession where he serves as director.
An Accra court has given lawyers for Bernard Antwi Boasiako (Chairman Wontumi) a final deadline of Thursday, May 28, 2026, to produce additional witnesses in his criminal trial. The court warned that failure to present witnesses by then would result in the court assuming the defence has no further witnesses and proceeding to addresses before setting a judgment date.
Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party Bernard Antwi-Boasiako (Chairman Wontumi) has pleaded not guilty to four counts including defrauding by false pretence, forgery, money laundering, and intentionally causing financial loss of over GH¢30 million to Ghana Export-Import Bank. He has been admitted to bail.
The United States Department of Justice has declined to comment on the detention of Asante Akim North MP Kwame Ohene Frimpong at Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam, in response to JoyNews Research inquiries about potential charges, the prosecuting office, or extradition plans. Ghana's Majority Caucus is reportedly mounting legal and diplomatic efforts to prevent his extradition.
A mining engineer testifying for Chairman Wontumi's defence told the court that Ghana's mining laws require formal procedures and ministerial approval for assignment of mineral rights, and that verbal permission cannot constitute a valid transfer. Wontumi faces six counts of allegedly permitting mining on his concession without prior ministerial approval and facilitating unlicensed mining.
A case management hearing in the Samreboi mining case involving Chairman Bernard Antwi Boasiako has been concluded, with the court adjourning proceedings to May 14, 2026. Chairman Wontumi and co-accused are on trial for allegedly transferring mining rights in Akonta Mining's Samreboi concession to a third party without approval from the Minister responsible for Mines.
The High Court's Criminal Court 4 continued proceedings in the trial of Ashanti Regional Chairman Bernard Antwi Boasiako (Chairman Wontumi) over alleged illegal mining activities at Samreboi concession without required authorisation. During proceedings on May 7, 2026, the defence lawyer resisted proposed dates for opening the defence case and requested longer adjournments, prompting a sharp reaction from presiding judge Justice Audrey Kocuvie-Tay, who accused defence lawyers of contributing to delays in Operation Recover All Loot (ORAL) cases.