A legal controversy has emerged following a ruling in an illegal mining case involving NPP Ashanti Regional Chairman Bernard Antwi-Boasiako, known as Chairman Wontumi. Appiah Kubi, a former member of Wontumi’s legal team, is raising serious questions about the integrity of the court’s process. He believes a written version of the judgment was circulating well before the court officially delivered its ruling.
The dispute centers on how judicial documents are handled and released to the public. Ordinarily, a judgment is read in open court before the written record is filed and stamped by the court registry. Kubi’s concerns suggest a breach in this protocol, implying that the outcome was known to some parties prematurely.
Speaking on TV3’s Keypoints, Kubi noted that the document he reviewed lacked essential official markers. “This is a copy of the judgment. Look at it. The judgment didn’t go to even the registry of the court,” he said, pointing out the absence of a registry stamp. He further alleged that “this is publication that came even before the judgment,” suggesting Wontumi may have anticipated the result because he had early access.
This allegation casts a shadow over the transparency of the proceedings and the fairness of the trial’s conclusion. If documents are leaked before official delivery, it raises questions about internal court leaks and potential advantages given to certain parties. It suggests a lapse in the administrative safeguards meant to protect the neutrality of the judiciary.
Beyond the leak, Kubi warned that the public is forming opinions based on incomplete information. He noted that “people have not had the opportunity of reading the proceedings,” and are instead “relying only on the judgment and making pronouncements.” This gap between the full trial record and the final ruling may lead to a skewed public understanding of the case.
