Samuel Atta Akyea, lead counsel for Bernard Antwi-Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, has challenged the High Court's assessment of the evidence that led to his client's conviction in the illegal mining case.

He argued that the trial judge drew conclusions that were not supported by the facts presented.

Speaking in an interview on JoyNews' Newsfile on Saturday, Mr Atta Akyea maintained that the prosecution failed to prove that Wontumi had sanctioned illegal mining on the concession in question.

According to him, the court wrongly inferred that the presence of earth-moving equipment on the site was proof of illegal mining.

"I don't believe that when we are doing reclamation, you use hoes and cutlasses. So the mere fact that they are doing reclamation and they are using earth-moving equipment is not conclusive of the fact that Wontumi sanctioned mining on the concession," he said.

He argued that the use of heavy machinery was equally consistent with land reclamation activities and should not have been interpreted as evidence that his client had authorised mining operations.

Atta Akyea further contended that the court failed to appreciate the commercial value of land reclamation, noting that reclaimed land could be used for profitable agricultural ventures, including coconut cultivation.

"The judge did not realise there's a lot of money in reclamation," he said, insisting that reclamation itself could provide financial benefits independent of mining.

The lawyer also questioned the credibility of key prosecution witnesses, claiming they were initially arrested as suspects before later becoming witnesses for the prosecution.

He alleged that the Attorney-General effectively converted the individuals into prosecution witnesses instead of prosecuting them, arguing that although such a practice is permissible under the law, their evidence should have been treated with greater caution.

Atta Akyea maintained that the prosecution's case fell short of proving beyond reasonable doubt that Wontumi had authorised or participated in illegal mining activities and indicated that the defence would challenge the court's findings through the appropriate legal processes.

His comments follow an Accra High Court sentencing of Chairman Wontumi to 20 years' imprisonment over illegal mining activities on the Samreboi concession in the Western Region.

Justice Audrey Kocuvie-Tay, who presided over the Criminal Division of the High Court, delivered the sentence on Monday, July 20, 2026.

The court also imposed a fine of 10,000 penalty units, equivalent to GH¢120,000, with a default sentence of three years' imprisonment if the fine is not paid.