Court Rejects Lawyer Appiah-Kubi’s Application to Quit as Wontumi’s Counsel | Discuss Ghana

The dramatic Samreboi illegal mining trial involving NPP Ashanti Regional Chairman Bernard Antwi Boasiako (Chairman Wontumi) has hit a fresh legal twist. The Accra High Court has thrown out an application filed by his lead lawyer, Andy Appiah-Kubi, who wanted the court’s permission to stop representing the politician.

The court rejected the lawyer's request on Monday, June 15, 2026. The judge explained that in a criminal case, a lawyer does not need a court's permission to stop working for a client. The court described the issue as a private matter between a lawyer and his client, meaning the application was completely unnecessary under the law.

Key Details of the Court Hearing

The Reason for Leaving: Lawyer Appiah-Kubi explained in his documents that he was highly disappointed by several previous decisions made by the court. He felt this disagreement could affect his performance and hurt his client's chances.

The Next Move: Speaking to reporters right after the court ruling, Appiah-Kubi stated that since the court says he does not need permission, he will simply file a formal notice of withdrawal to officially remove himself from the case.

Judgment Date Unchanged: Despite this lawyer drama, the court maintained that the final judgment for Chairman Wontumi and Akonta Mining Company will still be delivered on July 3, 2026. However, the judge gave the teams until June 24 to submit their final written arguments.