Professor of International Law at the University of Ghana, Kwadwo Appiagyei Atua, says his review of portions of the court’s judgment in the Chairman Wontumi case leaves him satisfied that the matter was fairly determined.
Prof Appiagyei Atua said he had taken time to examine parts of the judgment before forming his opinion.
“Having listened to, well, not much of the discussion going on, but having had the time to read just portions of the judgments, I come to the conclusion that clearly this was a decision that was fairly decided by the courts,” he said on Newsfile on JoyNews.
According to the legal academic, his assessment is based on what he has read from the court’s decision rather than commentary surrounding the case.
He also indicated that the trial judge appeared to have exercised caution in handling the proceedings, given the political attention the case attracted.
Prof Appiagyei Atua said the circumstances required careful judicial consideration, and he believes that approach was reflected in the outcome.
His remarks come after Bernard Antwi Boasiako, widely known as Chairman Wontumi, was convicted and sentenced to 20 years’ imprisonment over illegal mining activities.
While the case has generated political debate, Prof Appiagyei Atua said his conclusion is that the court reached its decision through a fair judicial process.
