Atta Akyea Steps In for Chairman Wontumi to Prevent Legal Abandonment at Critical Stage

Former Abuakwa South legislator and legal practitioner Samuel Atta Akyea has shed light on why he chose to step into the legal battle of Ashanti Regional NPP Chairman Bernard Antwi-Boasiako, arguing that allowing an accused to proceed through trial without counsel at such an advanced juncture would undermine the integrity of Ghana’s criminal justice system.

In an interview with Accra’s Citi FM, Atta Akyea characterised the matter as one of considerable gravity, emphasising that the principle of legal representation — particularly when a case has reached its later stages — sits at the heart of fair judicial proceedings.

The lawyer explained that during advanced phases of litigation, the battle is often won or lost not in the courtroom but on paper. Written arguments grounded in evidence and statutory law can prove decisive in persuading a court toward acquittal or conviction.

To deny an accused the benefit of skilled written advocacy at such a juncture would be to rob him of a critical mechanism of defence.

“The strength of the written submission, if it is based on evidence and law, can be good enough to secure an acquittal. Most lawyers will agree with me that that is how it works,” he stated.

Atta Akyea further disclosed the circumstances that precipitated his entry into the case.

The previous counsel, Andy Appiah-Kubi, had communicated to Chairman Wontumi his intention to disengage from the matter — a decision that was entirely voluntary and not compelled by any external force. Appiah-Kubi simply felt he could not, for reasons of his own, maintain the relationship.

“Andy had indicated to my latest client that he wanted to exit the case, so he was not fired. It was his voluntary announcement to Wontumi that, for some considerations, he did not see himself continuing with the case,” Atta Akyea clarified.

Only after verifying that Appiah-Kubi’s departure was genuine did Atta Akyea consent to assume the mantle of lead advocate.

The prospect of his client facing the remainder of proceedings unrepresented — at a stage where every filing and argument carried outsized weight — weighed heavily on his decision.

“It is too sensitive a stage for him to be abandoned, and I can say that was one of the considerations that made me elect to help him,” he remarked.

The case in question relates to matters connected to Akonta Mining and encompasses a sprawling set of allegations that continue to wend their way through the courts.

Yaw Opoku Amoako

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