Atta Akyea Explains Absence at Wontumi's Trial

Samuel Atta Akyea, the lead counsel for the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Ashanti Regional Chairman, Bernard Antwi Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, has explained why he was absent when the High Court delivered a judgment that jailed his client.

According to him, he had travelled to the United Kingdom to attend his daughter's graduation. Speaking on JoyFM's Top Story on Tuesday, July 21, Samuel Atta Akyea said his absence was unavoidable and was based on both personal and legal considerations.

Samuel Atta Akyea is a well-known Ghanaian lawyer who has been involved in several high-profile cases in the past. He was appointed as the lead counsel for Chairman Wontumi after the latter was charged with various crimes, including contempt of court.

According to Samuel Atta Akyea, the defense had intended to move a motion seeking a referral of constitutional questions to the Supreme Court, which he believed the trial court was obliged to make.

The judgment delivered by the High Court has sparked a lot of debate in Ghana, with many people questioning the fairness of the trial. Chairman Wontumi has been sentenced to jail, but his lawyers plan to appeal the decision.

Samuel Atta Akyea has already indicated that the defense team is preparing to challenge the High Court's decision at the Court of Appeal, arguing that the trial was affected by several constitutional and procedural errors.

In a related development, the NPP has stated that it will support Chairman Wontumi's appeal. The party's national chairman, Freddie Blay, has urged Ghanaians to remain calm and allow the law to take its course.

The Court of Appeal will hear the appeal in the coming weeks, and the judgment is expected to be delivered soon. The outcome of the appeal will determine whether Chairman Wontumi will spend any time in jail or be granted bail.

A lawyer who has handled several high-profile cases in the past, Samuel Atta Akyea explained that he had not abandoned his client, but was rather attending to a personal and important matter. 'It's very unfortunate because of the hard fact that if I should let you know how personal it was for me to join my daughter who was graduating in the UK, I didn't see how I could have absented myself,' he said.

He added that 'there was a constitutional matter staring at the court in the face. And we wanted to move that motion, which I knew, if the judge would respect the hierarchy of the court and even the law, that reference should have been made, which would mean that I needn’t be around when a judgement is being pronounced.'

However, his absence sparked a lot of debate in Ghana, with many people questioning whether he had abandoned his client at a critical stage of the trial. Samuel Atta Akyea has since rejected these claims, saying that he left Ghana on good measure that his daughter was graduating, and he needed to be there.

The outcome of Chairman Wontumi's appeal will determine whether he will spend any time in jail or be granted bail. The Court of Appeal will hear the appeal in the coming weeks, and the judgment is expected to be delivered soon.

The Ghanaian public is still reeling from the news of Chairman Wontumi's sentencing, and many people are waiting to see what happens next. With the appeal hearing scheduled for the coming weeks, it remains to be seen whether Chairman Wontumi will be able to overturn the decision.

'It's very unfortunate because of the hard fact that if I should let you know how personal it was for me to join my daughter who was graduating in the UK, I didn't see how I could have absented myself,' Samuel Atta Akyea said.

The lawyer's absence from the High Court judgment sparked a lot of debate in Ghana, with many people questioning whether he had abandoned his client at a critical stage of the trial.

The defense team, led by Samuel Atta Akyea, is preparing to challenge the High Court's decision at the Court of Appeal, arguing that the trial was affected by several constitutional and procedural errors.