Atta Akyea denies seeking presidential pardon for Chairman Wontumi

Private legal practitioner Samuel Atta Akyea has denied formally petitioning President John Dramani Mahama for a presidential pardon for his client, Bernard Antwi Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, in a case related to illegal mining.

Speaking on Accra-based Citi FM on Tuesday, October 13, 2026, Mr Atta Akyea dismissed suggestions that he had approached the President to secure clemency for the former New Patriotic Party (NPP) Ashanti Regional Chairman.

“No, please. We didn’t do that,” he said when asked whether he had sought a pardon for his client.

He, however, indicated that he had expected President Mahama to consider granting Mr Boasiako a pardon because of the widespread nature of illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey, in Ghana.

Mr Atta Akyea argued that the extent of the illegal mining menace and the involvement of influential people in the practice could have informed the President’s decision on cases of that nature.

“Also, when the case was galamsey-related, we thought that the president, in his own mercy, would say that, look, the nation is awash with galamsey,” he said.

He further suggested that he had expected the President to be reluctant to impose a lengthy prison sentence on someone facing a galamsey-related case.

“Even we have some evidence that serious people in the party- that is what their daily bread is all about. I will not use a galamsey-tinted criminal matter to detain a man and let him remain there for 20 years. I’ll grant him pardon,” he said, explaining what he believed the President might have considered.

His comments follow President Mahama’s decision on October 5, 2026, to grant presidential pardons to 863 convicted persons under Article 72(1) of the 1992 Constitution, after consulting the Council of State.

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