Court of Appeal Rejects Wontumi’s Bid to Halt Samreboi Mining Trial
Bernard Antwi Boasiako faces continued High Court proceedings after failed stay application
The Court of Appeal Ghana has dismissed a fresh attempt by lawyers for Bernard Antwi Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, to halt his ongoing criminal trial at the High Court in the Samreboi mining case.
The application sought to suspend proceedings pending an interlocutory appeal challenging an earlier ruling by Audrey Kocuvie-Tay, which directed the accused to open his defence over allegations that he authorised mining activities on his Samreboi concession without the required approval.
Wontumi’s legal team argued that the High Court trial should be paused until the appeal is determined. However, both the High Court and the appellate court rejected the request.
In its ruling on Tuesday, April 21, 2026, the Court of Appeal held that the application failed to demonstrate exceptional circumstances necessary to justify a stay of proceedings, effectively allowing the trial to continue.
The decision clears the way for the substantive case to proceed at the High Court of Ghana, unless further legal action is pursued.
Lead counsel for Chairman Wontumi indicated that the defence team is reviewing its options, which may include filing a fresh application at the Supreme Court of Ghana or proceeding with opening the defence at the High Court.
The ruling marks a setback for the defence as the high-profile mining case continues.
