Private legal practitioner, Andy Appiah-Kubi has advised the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Bernard Antwi Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, to appeal his 20-year prison sentence in the Samreboi galamsey case.
According to the lawyer, the conviction raises concerns about the standard of evidence required before a person is found guilty, insisting that a conviction must be backed by clear and credible evidence.
Speaking on Adom FM’s Kasiebo is Tasty, Mr Appiah-Kubi, a former counsel for Chairman Wontumi in the Samreboi galamsey case, said he still has the opportunity to challenge the decision through the appellate process.
“He has the opportunity to appeal, and I will prescribe that he does,” he said.
The former Asante Akyem North MP expressed surprise at what he described as the court’s approach towards the defence, noting that it influenced his decision to step aside from the case.
“I did not abandon my role as a lawyer in the case. But with the court’s attitude towards the defence, it was quite surprising,” he explained.
Lawyer Appiah-Kubi said he decided to withdraw his representation because he believed his continued involvement was not creating the best environment to secure the justice they were seeking.
“I came to the decision that if my representation will not give us the justice we deserve, I will step aside to create a more friendly environment for the case to continue,” he stated.
He warned that allowing the judgment to stand without further scrutiny could have wider implications for the justice system.
“If we allow this judgment, it will set a bad precedent for us, and we all will be disgraced in the future. We need to correct it,” he added.
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