Former New Edubiase Member of Parliament, George Oduro, has questioned the handling of Chairman Bernard Antwi Boasiako’s galamsey case, alleging that the judge’s conduct throughout the trial raised concerns.
Speaking in an interview on Adom FM’s Dwaso Nsem, Mr Oduro said he was not surprised by the outcome of the case because, according to him, the judge’s posture from the beginning of the trial created doubts.
“Before we went to court yesterday, we heard some rumours, but I was not surprised because from day one, the judge’s posture was not right,” he said.
He claimed that even some lawyers had expressed concerns about the judge’s approach during the proceedings.
“Some lawyers even spoke about it. The way the judge handled issues in court made it seem like something was wrong,” Mr Oduro added.
Chairman Wontumi and his company, Akonta Mining Limited, were convicted by Justice Audrey Kocuvie-Tay on two counts each under the Minerals and Mining Act, 2006 (Act 703), as amended, and sentenced to 20 years’ imprisonment.
Mr Oduro alleged that Justice Audrey Kocuvie-Tay has handled several cases involving members of the NPP, despite the availability of many High Court judges across the country.
“The judge who handled Wontumi’s case has several NPP-related cases before her. Out of the many High Court judges we have in Ghana, why is one judge handling so many cases involving NPP members?” he questioned.
According to him, the situation raises concerns about whether there is a reason behind the concentration of such cases before one judge.
“One judge has many NPP cases, and that is what makes me wonder and believe something may be wrong,” he stated.
Mr Oduro said he personally followed the Wontumi case from the beginning until the judgment and believes the judge’s conduct throughout the trial influenced his perception of the outcome.
“From the first day of Wontumi’s case until yesterday when he was sentenced, I have been in court. The judge’s posture was clearly not right, so what happened did not shock me because the signs were there,” he said.
He further alleged that the judge often prevented lawyers from fully expressing themselves during proceedings.
“Even when lawyers raised issues about dates or other matters, the judge did not allow them to speak. The way things were handled was very authoritative,” he claimed.
Mr Oduro questioned why one judge should preside over several cases involving NPP members when Ghana has many High Court judges.
“We have many judges in this country, so why is it that only one judge is handling so many NPP cases? Is that judge the only person available to handle NPP cases?” he asked.
He added that his concerns were based on the judgment delivered in the Wontumi case and called for a closer look at the circumstances surrounding the trial.
“Nothing is above God. We will take it as it is and look at the way forward,” Mr Oduro said.
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