A Kumasi High Court has issued a bench warrant for the arrest of the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Bernard Antwi-Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, after he failed to appear in court in his ongoing criminal trial without permission.
The warrant, issued on Monday, October 28, 2025, follows what the presiding judge described as a deliberate disregard for the authority of the court. Wontumi, who is facing charges related to contempt and alleged misconduct towards a court, was expected to appear for the continuation of his trial but failed to do so, prompting the bench warrant.
According to reports, the NPP regional chairman has been standing trial over comments and conduct deemed contemptuous toward the judiciary. His absence in court was reportedly unexplained, and neither his legal team nor any representative provided sufficient reason to justify his nonappearance.
The presiding judge, visibly displeased by the development, emphasized that the court will not tolerate any act of disrespect or attempt to frustrate the judicial process. The bench warrant compels law enforcement authorities to arrest Chairman Wontumi and present him before the court at the next hearing.
Sources close to the case suggest that the judge’s decision was influenced by previous warnings issued to the accused to comply strictly with court procedures. “No individual, regardless of status or political position, is above the law,” the court stated.
Chairman Wontumi, one of the most influential political figures in the Ashanti Region, has been at the center of several controversies in recent months. His legal troubles stem from an earlier altercation involving comments perceived as an attack on the judiciary, which triggered a contempt application filed against him.
The ruling has sparked widespread reactions, with some members of the public commending the judiciary for upholding the rule of law, while others view the move as politically charged. Legal analysts, however, insist that the court’s action was procedural and consistent with Ghana’s legal framework governing criminal trials.
As of now, the Ghana Police Service is expected to enforce the warrant immediately, unless Chairman Wontumi voluntarily appears before the court to explain his absence.
The case continues to draw national attention given Wontumi’s political prominence within the ruling NPP and his role in shaping political discourse in the Ashanti Region, the party’s stronghold.
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