Accra High Court has granted a request by the Attorney-General and lawyers for Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Bernard Antwi-Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, to begin plea bargain negotiations in the ongoing EXIM Bank loan fraud case.
The decision was taken on Thursday, June 18, paving the way for discussions between prosecutors and the defence under Ghana’s plea bargaining framework.
The development follows a formal notification filed by the Office of the Attorney-General, informing the court that Chairman Wontumi had expressed interest in pursuing a plea agreement in relation to the charges against him.
According to court documents, the request was submitted through his lawyer, Andy Appiah-Kubi, in a letter dated June 5, 2026. The Attorney-General’s Department subsequently notified the court under Section 162C(3) of the Criminal and Other Offences (Procedure) Act, 1960 (Act 30).
The case before the High Court names Chairman Wontumi as the first accused person, alongside Thomas Antwi-Boasiako, who is currently at large, and Wontumi Farms Limited.
Chairman Wontumi faces charges including defrauding by false pretences, causing financial loss to a public body, money laundering and authoring a forged document.
Prosecutors allege that between 2018 and 2022, Chairman Wontumi and Thomas Antwi-Boasiako fraudulently obtained a GH¢14.3 million loan from the Ghana Export-Import Bank (EXIM Bank) through Wontumi Farms Limited.
The Attorney-General further alleges that Chairman Wontumi used a forged receipt to secure an additional GH¢4 million facility from the bank. According to the charge sheet, the receipt was presented as proof of payment in support of the transaction despite allegedly being fraudulent.
The prosecution also claims that Chairman Wontumi knowingly received and possessed part of the loan proceeds, which investigators contend were acquired through fraudulent means.
In addition, the accused persons are alleged to have caused financial loss exceeding GH¢30 million to EXIM Bank through the transaction.
With the court now granting permission for plea negotiations to commence, both parties are expected to engage in discussions to determine whether an agreement can be reached before the substantive trial proceeds.
Further hearings are expected as the plea bargaining process unfolds.
