The High Court in Accra has granted the Attorney General and Ashanti Regional Chairman of the NPP, Bernard Antwi Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, permission to negotiate the GHS30m Exim Bank charges following a request for plea bargain.
The court, presided over by Justice Halimah El-Alawa Abdul-Baasit, has adjourned the case to July 6, 2026, for the parties to negotiate and conclude the matter.
This followed a submission by the Deputy Attorney General, Dr. Justice Srem-Sai, that the AG filed a notice of commencement to plea bargain on June 11, and both sides had agreed to a short adjournment to begin negotiations.
“We filed a notice of commencement of plea negotiations pursuant to section 162C(3) of Act 30 dated June 11, 2026,” he said.
“The accused person, Wontumi, has requested to take advantage of his rights under the said legislation to negotiate.
“We have also had a conversation this morning, Thursday, with defence counsel, and we have agreed to take a short adjournment to start the negotiations,” he submitted.
“We are proposing, for my lady’s approval, a two-week adjournment to update the court on progress,” Dr. Srem-Sai noted.
Andy Appiah-Kubi corroborated the submission made by the Deputy AG.
Background
On June 5, lawyers of Chairman Wontumi approached the Attorney General to seek Plea Bargaining Agreement for him in the case in which he has been charged together with two others for intentionally misapplying over GH¢30 million Exim Bank loan facility.
Chairman Wontumi is personally facing three of the four counts: the charge of defrauding by false pretence, contrary to Section 131 of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29); uttering of a forged document, contrary to Section 169 of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29); and money laundering, contrary to Section 1(2)(c) of the Anti-Money Laundering Act, 2020 (Act 1044).
Together with Thomas Antwi-Boasiako and Wontumi Farms Limited, he is facing the charge of intentionally causing financial loss to a public body, contrary to Section 179A(2) of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29).
One other – Thomas Antwi-Boasiako, the Second Accused, is on the run and being sought by investigators.
Plea negotiations
Titled the Republic v Bernard Antwi Boasiako aka Chairman Wontumi & 2 Others (Exim Bank Case), the first accused person through his lawyers have written to the Attorney General on June 6, 2026 to enter into plea negotiations on the charges filed against him.
What this mean is that, the accused is willing to enter into an agreement where he will plead guilty on the charges for the prosecution to recommend a lesser sentence or repayment of the money with interest or both as punishment.
The Attorney General has duly notified the Court pursuant to section I62C(3) of the Criminal & Other Offences (Procedure) (Amendment), Act 2022 (Act 1079)
The accused is facing 4 charges namely defrauding by false pretenses, uttering of a forged document, money laundering and intentionally causing financial loss to a public body to the tune of GHc30,000,000 (GHc30 million)
Brief facts
Per the brief facts of the case accompanying the charges, the 1st Accused Person – Chairman Wontumi (A1), a 50-year-old entrepreneur, is a native of Kuntanase in the Ashanti Region.
It said he (Chairman Wontumi) is the sole shareholder and one of the two directors of the 3rd Accused Person, Wontumi Farms Limited (A3), while the 2nd Accused Person – Thomas Antwi-Boasiako (A2) – is the other director of A3, currently at large.
The brief facts state that A3, whose object is general farming, agricultural business, and processing, was incorporated and authorised to commence business on December 14, 2017.
It said that, sometime in January 2018, Chairman Wontumi (A1) approached the Ghana Export Import Bank for a grant of a nineteen million Ghana cedi facility to embark on a farming venture.
The brief facts stated that, in the grant application letter, Chairman Wontumi (A1), ostensibly as Wontumi Farms Limited’s (A3) Managing Director, declared that a parcel of land – 100,000 acres in size – had been secured for the project.
First letter
It said that accompanying the grant application letter are two documents and that the first is a letter titled ‘Board Resolution Letter’ and dated January 23, 2018, signed by Thomas Antwi-Boasiako (A2), who described himself as the Board Chairman of A3 (Wontumi Farms Limited).
The letter stated that the grant application was authorised by A3’s board of directors through a resolution passed on December 9, 2017 (four clear days before A3 was incorporated).
Second letter
It said, the second document which accompanied the application is titled, ‘Proposed Project for Wontumi Farms.’
It said, Imin this project proposal, the Accused Persons represented to the Bank that just 2,500 hectares (about 6,000 acres) of the farm project is estimated to employ about 6,000 families of about 38,000 individuals.
The facts said, on January 16, 2018, the Bank made a mixture of loan and grant facility offer to A3.
“It was an Eighteen Million, Seven Hundred and Thirty-four Thousand and Two Hundred and Sixty Ghana cedis only (GHC 18,734,260.00 facility,” it said.
“It was to be spent on the purchase of agricultural plant and machinery, working capital and a grant for staff and labour cost, and consultancy fees,” it stated.
It sa is, at 4:00pm on January 23, 2018, Chairman Wontumi (A1) signed the acceptance in Kumasi while Thomas Antwi-Boasiako (A2) witnessed it.
It said, by March 2018, the Bank commenced disbursing the facility to A3 (Wontumi Farms Limited).
It is the case of the Prosecution that, a total sum of Fourteen Million, Three Hundred and Two Thousand Ghana cedis only (GHC
14,302,000.00) was disbursed.
“Investigations have, however, established that the Accused Persons did not undertake the proposed farming activity. They bought no agricultural plant and machinery,” the brief facts stated.
“They employed no one to work on the farm,” and “They did not own or secure the parcel of land which they represented to the Bank as a parcel of land secured for the proposed farm. That is not all.”
It said, sometime in March 2018, Chairman Wontumi (A1) presented a document which bore ‘Receipt’ to the Bank.
Altered documents
“A1 (Wontumi) presented the document as evidence that A3 had purchased Four Million Ghana cedis only (GHC4,000,000.00) worth of agricultural plant and machinery for the farm.
“The Bank relied on the document to advance more funds to A3 for the farm project.
“The document was not a genuine purchase receipt at al. It was originally a pro-forma invoice issued by the KAS-SAMA ENTERPRISE to A1 when A1 made price inquiries. A1, then, undertook to return later to make the purchase.
“That was the last time that KAS-SAMA ENTERPRISE heard from or saw A1. Investigation has established that the inscription “Pro-forma Invoice” on the document was altered and replaced with “Receipt”.
“Investigations have established that A1 withdrew huge sums of the funds from A3’s bank accounts and spent the same for his personal use, including investing such sums in other business enterprises.
“A1 (Chairman Wontumi) efforts by the Bank to recover the monies from the Accused Persons landed on rocks.
“So, in March 2025, officials of the Economic and Organised Crime Office of the Attorney-General commenced investigations into the affairs.
“A1 (Chairman Wontumi) was subsequently arrested and cautioned. On May 14, 2026, he was charged,” the brief facts stated.
Source :www.kumasimail.com
