The High Court in Accra has, on its own initiative, modified the bail conditions for the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Bernard Antwi Boasiako, commonly referred to as Chairman Wontumi, who is currently on trial for allegedly allowing mining operations on his Samreboi concession without the necessary authorization.
This modification was communicated prior to the main proceedings of the day. The Court observed that although it had previously assigned certain aspects of bail supervision to the investigator—specifically mandating regular updates on whether the accused remained within the jurisdiction—the investigator had not adhered to the Court’s instructions.
The judge stated that the ongoing failure of the investigator to submit the required updates necessitated the Court’s intervention. Rather than imposing stricter conditions or detaining the accused, the Court revised the reporting obligations.
Under the revised conditions, Chairman Wontumi is now obligated to report directly to the Court’s Registrar, who will subsequently provide the necessary updates to the judge.
The Court underscored that this modification was intended to guarantee adequate oversight of the bail conditions while preserving the accused’s right to a fair trial, without depending on an investigative officer who had not fulfilled their responsibilities.
Chairman Wontumi, along with two other individuals, is facing charges for allegedly permitting or facilitating mining activities on his Samreboi concession in violation of Section 14 of the Minerals and Mining Act, which prohibits mining without lawful authorization.
