The Criminal Court 4 Division of the High Court in Accra has dismissed an application by lawyers for New Patriotic Party (NPP) Ashanti Regional Chairman, Bernard Antwi-Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, seeking to halt judgment in the Samreboi mining case and refer constitutional issues to the Supreme Court.

The ruling cleared the way for the court, presided over by Justice Audrey Kocuvie-Tay, to proceed with delivering its judgment in the long-running case.

During proceedings, defence lawyer Charles Boakye, who appeared on behalf of lead counsel Samuel Atta Akyea, informed the court that the defence had filed an application on July 16 requesting a postponement of the judgment pending the Supreme Court's interpretation of constitutional issues raised in the matter.

He further told the court that the defence had notified the court registry that Mr. Atta Akyea was out of the country and expected to return on July 22, and therefore requested that the application be adjourned until his return.

Justice Kocuvie-Tay, however, declined the request, holding that the application lacked sufficient grounds and noting that any scheduling conflict on the part of lead counsel should have been communicated to the court earlier.

The judge also ruled that the pending application did not require oral submissions before a determination could be made, explaining that once the motion had been properly filed, the court had the discretion to consider and rule on it without further argument.

Following the dismissal of the application, the court proceeded with the delivery of its judgment.

Chairman Wontumi, together with Akonta Mining Company Limited and a third accused, Kwame Antwi, is standing trial over allegations of illegal mining on the Samreboi concession in the Western Region. All the accused have denied the charges.