Atta Akyea takes over Chairman Wontumi’s Tano Nimiri illegal mining case, trial resumes July 31

The change of counsel comes at a critical stage of the trial, with the accused persons already before the court on charges linked to alleged illegal mining activities in the Tano Nimiri Forest Reserve in the Western Region.

Samuel Atta Akyea has officially taken over as lead counsel for embattled New Patriotic Party (NPP) Ashanti Regional Chairman Bernard Antwi-Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, in the Tano Nimiri Forest Reserve illegal mining case.

During proceedings on June 17, 2026, an investigator told the court that investigations had established that Wontumi directed mining activities in the Tano Nimiri Forest Reserve.