The Ashanti Regional Chairman of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP), Bernard Antwi-Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, has formally begun plea bargain negotiations with the Attorney-General in the criminal case in which he and two others are accused of defrauding the Ghana Export-Import Bank (Exim Bank) of GH¢14.3 million.
Court filings dated June 11, 2026, revealed that Wontumi’s lawyer, Andy Appiah-Kubi, submitted a request on June 5 under Section 162C(3) of the Criminal and Other Offences (Procedure) Act, 1960 (Act 30), seeking to engage the Attorney-General in plea discussions. A notice signed by Deputy Attorney-General Justice Srem-Sai was subsequently served on the accused persons and filed with the High Court in Accra.
Wontumi, together with Thomas Antwi-Boasiako who is reportedly at large and Wontumi Farms Limited, faces four charges: defrauding by false pretence, uttering a forged document, money laundering, and intentionally causing financial loss to a public institution. Prosecutors allege that in 2018, the accused secured GH¢14.3 million from Exim Bank after applying for a GH¢18.7 million facility to finance a large-scale farming project. Investigators contend that no farming activities were undertaken, no machinery was acquired, and no workers were employed, while documents submitted to support claims of equipment purchases were allegedly forged.
The charge sheet further accuses the defendants of causing financial loss exceeding GH¢30 million to Exim Bank. Wontumi pleaded not guilty to all charges when he first appeared before the High Court on May 18, 2026. The case was adjourned to June 18 for a management conference, with the prosecution directed to file disclosures ahead of the hearing.
This latest move follows earlier attempts to resolve the matter through negotiations. Attorney-General Dominic Ayine previously disclosed that proposals submitted to his office were rejected, stressing that any plea bargain must comply strictly with the law and be subject to court approval.
