The High Court in Accra has blocked an attempt by Member of Parliament and lawyer Andy Appiah-Kubi to withdraw as counsel for New Patriotic Party (NPP) Ashanti Regional Chairman, Bernard Antwi-Boasiako.
In a ruling delivered on Monday, the court dismissed Appiah-Kubi’s application to step down from defending the politician popularly known as “Chairman Wontumi” in the ongoing Akonta Mining criminal case.
The decision followed a successful preliminary objection raised by the Attorney-General’s office. The prosecution argued that under Ghanaian law, a defence counsel does not require judicial permission to withdraw from representation.
The presiding judge agreed with the state, ruling that the motion failed to raise a legitimate issue for judicial determination.
The court also highlighted a critical procedural lapse, noting that Mr. Appiah-Kubi failed to formally serve the withdrawal application on his own client, Chairman Wontumi. It stressed that legal representation is fundamentally a private contractual arrangement between a lawyer and a client, and must be governed by established legal procedures rather than unnecessary judicial intervention. In the absence of supporting legal authority or precedent, the application was struck out as incompetent.
Consequently, Mr. Appiah-Kubi remains counsel of record as the trial moves into its final stages. The development follows the lawmaker’s public concerns about the court’s handling of the proceedings, including dissatisfaction with recent directions and rulings.
Despite tensions in court, the bench maintained its strict timetable. While the court noted that filing closing addresses is optional under criminal procedure, it extended the deadline for final written submissions to June 24, 2026.
The High Court has adjourned the case to July 3, 2026, for judgment.
