as Appiah Kubi Substitutes for Atta Akyea
By Philip Antoh
For the second time in as many weeks, Bernard Antwi Bosiako the mining magnate and political heavyweight known to millions as Chairman Wontumi has watched his lead defense counsel walk away from the courtroom just as the legal net tightens.
On Monday morning, before a packed Accra High Court, lawyer Andy Appiah-Kubi formally withdrew from Wontumi’s defense in the high-stakes EXIM Bank loan case, a move that came without public explanation and left observers scrambling for clues.
The withdrawal, confirmed in open court, clears the path for Samuel Atta Akyea, a former Abuakwa South MP and seasoned private practitioner, to take over as lead counsel.
Atta Akyea informed the judge that he had “officially assumed responsibility” and would now helm the legal team defending Wontumi against charges of obtaining a GH¢14.3 million loan from the state-owned EXIM Bank through false pretenses a case in which Wontumi has pleaded not guilty.
The timing is striking. Just days earlier, Appiah-Kubi had delivered a vigorous, almost theatrical defense of Wontumi on The Key Points, a popular political talk show on TV3, marshaling arguments that sought to cast the prosecution as politically motivated.
Yet by Monday, that same advocate had severed ties, leaving Wontumi to face his accusers with a new lead counsel and a mounting list of legal entanglements.
This is not the first time Appiah-Kubi has stepped aside. In late June, he quietly withdrew from Wontumi’s defense in the Samreboi illegal mining case a separate proceeding that culminated last month in a 20-year prison sentence with hard labour for Wontumi, a conviction his team is now appealing on grounds of judicial error and excessive punishment.
That earlier exit was largely unnoticed, overshadowed by the shock of the sentencing itself. But Monday’s departure, coming on the heels of a televised defense, has ignited speculation in legal circles and political corridors alike.
No formal reason was given in court for Appiah-Kubi’s decision. The lawyer did not address the judge or the press, leaving the bench and the gallery to absorb the sudden change in counsel. Atta Akyea, for his part, offered no explanation beyond his formal assumption of duties a crisp, procedural announcement that did little to dispel the growing unease.
Why, after months of representing Wontumi, would Appiah-Kubi abandon a client at such a pivotal stage particularly after spending a Saturday publicly rallying to his cause? And why is a lawyer who appears willing to make the case on television unwilling to make it in the courtroom?
Privately, several sources close to the defense team who spoke on condition of anonymity because they are not authorized to discuss internal matters suggested that the decision may stem from a confluence of factors: mounting pressure from the prosecution’s evidence, disagreements over legal strategy, or perhaps an irreconcilable rift between counsel and client over how to handle the sprawling array of charges.
Others pointed to the sheer weight of Wontumi’s legal troubles the EXIM Bank case, the Akonta Mining conviction, and the pending appeal which may have strained the attorney-client relationship to a breaking point.
What is certain is that Wontumi now faces a critical juncture. Atta Akyea, a former lawmaker with a reputation for meticulous preparation and courtroom tenacity, inherits a case that is already well into its evidentiary phase. He will have to digest volumes of financial documents, retool the defense strategy, and rebuild rapport with a client who has just lost his trusted advocate all while the clock ticks toward a verdict that could reshape the political landscape in Ashanti Region and beyond.
The case has taken on an outsized public dimension, not least because Wontumi is a polarizing figure a wealthy businessman with deep ties to the ruling party’s hierarchy, but also a convicted miner who has never shied from the cameras. His appeal of the 20-year sentence is pending, and his legal team has argued that the trial court erred in law and imposed a disproportionate penalty. Yet with Appiah-Kubi’s withdrawal, those arguments now rest in new hands.
For Ghanaians watching from the sidelines, the spectacle raises uncomfortable questions about the fragility of legal representation in high-profile cases. Is this a routine professional reshuffle, or a sign that the walls are closing in on Wontumi? The absence of a public explanation from Appiah-Kubi only deepens the mystery.
Atta Akyea is expected to file his formal notice of appearance in the coming days. The court has granted a brief adjournment to allow the new lead counsel to review the docket, a decision that may delay proceedings but is unlikely to alter the fundamental trajectory of the case.
The prosecution, meanwhile, has signaled its intention to press forward with its evidence, which includes detailed records of the loan application and correspondence between Wontumi Farms Limited and EXIM Bank.
As the legal drama unfolds, one thing is clear: the revolving door at Wontumi’s defense table is not merely a procedural footnote. It is a signal perhaps of a strategy in flux, perhaps of a client whose problems have outgrown the capacity of even his most vocal advocate.
For now, Ghanaians are left to wait for the real reason behind Appiah-Kubi’s latest exit. And as Monday’s court session ended without a single word from the departing counsel, the silence spoke louder than any explanation could have.
Philip Antoh covers courts and corruption for The New Republic. His reporting on Ghana’s judicial system has won multiple awards for investigative depth.