Samuel Atta Akyea has argued that the High Court should have dealt with constitutional issues raised by Bernard Antwi Boasiako’s legal team before delivering judgement in the Samreboi mining case.
The lawyer, who represented Chairman Wontumi, said the defence had anticipated that the matter would be referred to the Supreme Court, and that expectation influenced his decision not to be present when the judgement was delivered.
“There was a constitutional matter staring at the court in the face,” Mr Atta Akyea said.
According to him, if the court had followed the expected legal process, the case would not have reached the stage where judgement was delivered while he was away.
“We wanted to move that motion, which I knew, if the judge would respect the hierarchy of the court and even the law, that reference should have been made,” he stated on JoyNews.
Mr Atta Akyea also dismissed suggestions that his absence affected his commitment to defending his client.
“I had not left Ghana to sort of leave my client in that kind of predicament,” he said, explaining that his trip was connected to his daughter’s graduation in the UK.
