Private legal practitioner Martin Kpebu has said lawyer Anthony Akoto Ampaw should be allowed to explore every available legal option in defending Ashanti Regional NPP Chairman Bernard Antwi Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, in the Ghana EXIM Bank case.

Kpebu described the defence team’s attempt to have the case treated as a civil dispute rather than a criminal matter as part of the legal process, cautioning against rushing to judge whether the strategy would succeed.

“This is called expanding the frontiers of the law. Once the accused is in dire straits, every available legal weapon he gets, he has to take it and throw at the prosecution. You never know the one that would do the trick,” he said.

Speaking during on TV3 with Alfred Ocansey, Kpebu said the defence team should be given room to pursue its chosen approach, particularly because Wontumi’s liberty was at stake.

He also defended Akoto Ampaw’s decision to pursue the strategy, citing the lawyer’s experience at the Bar.

“The worst thing a lawyer can do is to sit down and start throwing pot shots at his moves. No. It’s better that we let Akoto Ampaw go through the process the way he sees fit,” Kpebu said.

He added that the court would have to consider the arguments presented by both the defence and the prosecution before determining the way forward.