The Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Bernard Antwi-Boasiako, professionally known as Chairman Wontumi, has formally requested a plea negotiation with the Attorney-General in his ongoing trial over an alleged multi-million cedi loan fraud involving the Ghana Export-Import Bank (Exim Bank).
The Deputy Attorney-General, Dr Justice Srem-Sai, officially notified the Accra High Court of the development on Thursday, 11th June 2026.
According to the court filing submitted under Docket No. CR/0529/2026, Wontumi’s defence counsel, Andy Appiah-Kubi, Esq., wrote to the Attorney-General on 5th June 2026 to initiate the settlement talks.
The notification was filed in accordance with Section 162C(3) of the Criminal Procedure Code (Act 30), which governs plea negotiation procedures within Ghana’s criminal justice system.
Core Charges and Accused Parties
Chairman Wontumi is the first accused in the case, while Thomas Antwi-Boasiako, who remains at large, is the second accused.
Wontumi Farms Limited is joined to the suit as the third accused.
The accused persons face a four-count charge sheet dated 15th May 2026, which includes defrauding by false pretence, uttering a forged document, money laundering, and intentionally causing financial loss to a public institution.
While the original loan disbursed amounted to GH¢14.3 million, Count Four of the charge sheet alleges that the defendants intentionally caused a total financial loss exceeding GH¢30 million to Exim Bank during the course of the transaction.
Details of the Alleged Fraud
According to the prosecution, Wontumi Farms Limited applied for a GH¢19 million loan facility in 2018, ostensibly to establish a large-scale agricultural project.
To secure the funds, the company presented documentation claiming it had acquired a 100,000-acre parcel of land for the venture.
State prosecutors detected several anomalies in the documentation.
Crucially, a board resolution letter submitted by the defence was dated 23rd January 2018, but referenced a corporate resolution supposedly passed on 9th December 2017—four days before the company was officially incorporated on 14th December 2017.
Furthermore, documentation presented as proof of purchase for farming machinery is alleged to have been falsified.
The state claims that despite the disbursement of approximately GH¢14.3 million, no farming activities were ever initiated, no equipment was bought, and no staff were employed.
Instead, substantial portions of the funds were allegedly diverted into personal use and unrelated business investments.
Next Steps and Pending Legal Battles
Chairman Wontumi previously pleaded not guilty to all four counts during his initial court appearance on 18th May 2026.
The High Court had subsequently adjourned the case to 18th June 2026 for a Case Management Conference.
While the Attorney-General’s office has declined to make any public statements beyond the formal court notification, further clarity on the progress of the plea agreement is expected when the court resumes sitting next Thursday.
The Exim Bank case is one of two high-profile criminal matters currently facing the political figure.
Chairman Wontumi, alongside Akonta Mining Limited and company director Kwame Antwi, is also facing a separate trial at the Accra High Court regarding alleged illegal mining activities at Samreboi.
Judgment in the illegal mining case is scheduled to be delivered on 3rd July 2026.
