Lead counsel for NPP Ashanti Regional Chairman Bernard Antwi-Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, Samuel Atta Akyea, has rejected claims that the defence is using the judiciary’s legal vacation to delay the ongoing GH¢30 million EXIM Bank fraud trial.
According to him, his client’s intention is “far from that.”
Mr Atta Akyea made the comments on JoyNews’ Top Story on Tuesday in response to remarks by Deputy Attorney-General, Dr Justice Srem-Sai, that the defence was employing tactics that could delay proceedings.
“He will confirm. I haven’t done anything like that. I’ve faithfully attended court from the beginning to now.
The lawyer insisted that he is only committed to paying “obeisance to the rule of law and I want people to have justice.”
“That I won’t compromise because of anybody’s ambulance thinking of expedited trials. So we are not trying to delay this case at all. We’ve been cross-examining.
“We’ve been coming to court faithfully. I’m there early. When it’s even late, I wait for him.
“You understand? Because he’s oversubscribed. So please, nobody is saying that we are running away from what we do best. No.
“But for Christ’s sake, this realm is to uphold the rule of law. We shouldn’t give any indication that we are practicing a two-track system where one is expedited, the other is not. One is an ambulance, the other is normal track,” he said.
The comments come amid proceedings in the criminal case involving Chairman Wontumi over an alleged GH¢30 million financial loss to the state in connection with an EXIM Bank facility.
The prosecution alleges that between 2018 and 2022, Mr Boasiako and his co-accused obtained about GH¢14.3 million through Wontumi Farms Limited under the pretext of financing an industrial agricultural project.
The State further alleges that an altered pro forma invoice was used to secure an additional GH¢4 million facility for heavy-duty equipment which was allegedly never purchased. The prosecution says the outstanding liability, including interest, has since exceeded GH¢30 million.
Mr Atta Akyea recently took over as lead counsel for Mr Boasiako after Andy Appiah-Kubi withdrew from the case.
At the latest hearing, the prosecution and defence informed the High Court that plea-bargain negotiations were at an advanced stage. The court subsequently granted the parties 30 days to conclude the discussions and adjourned the case to August 27, 2026.
Mr Atta Akyea had asked the court to adjourn the matter until October to allow sufficient time for the negotiations, but the court opted for a 30-day period.
The Deputy Attorney-General explained that the plea-bargain discussions had been interrupted by Mr Boasiako’s conviction in a separate illegal mining case, where he was sentenced to 20 years in prison.
The legal-vacation issue has therefore become part of the broader debate over how quickly the EXIM Bank case should progress.
Mr Atta Akyea, however, insists that his approach is not intended to frustrate the trial but to ensure that his client receives due process.
He maintained that the justice system should not create a separate, expedited track for certain cases while others proceed under the normal rules.
“We shouldn’t give any indication that we are practicing a two-track system where one is expedited, the other is not. One is an ambulance, the other is normal track,” he said.
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