Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Bernard Antwi-Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, has opted for plea bargaining in a Gh¢30 million financial loss case involving the Ghana Export-Import Bank (EXIM Bank). Lawyers for Chairman Womtumi’s legal team has initiated the process.
The Office of the Attorney General through deputy AG Dr. Justice Srem-Sai has consequently alerted the High Court on June 11, 2026, that Wontumi, the first accused in the case, had formally initiated plea negotiations through his legal team.
According to a notice filed by the Prosecutions Division of the Attorney General’s Department, Wontumi’s lawyer, Andy Appiah-Kubi, submitted a request for plea discussions in a letter dated June 5, 2026. The filing was made under Section 162C(3) of the Criminal and Other Offences (Procedure) Act, 1960 (Act 30).
Chairman Wontumi is standing trial alongside Thomas Antwi-Boasiako, who is currently on the run, and Wontumi Farms Limited. The state alleges that between 2018 and 2022, the accused fraudulently secured GH¢14.3 million from EXIM Bank through false representations.
Prosecutors further claim that Wontumi presented a forged receipt to bank officials to facilitate the approval of an additional GH¢4 million facility. He also faces a money laundering charge for allegedly benefiting from funds suspected to have been obtained through fraudulent means.
The prosecution contends that the transactions resulted in financial losses exceeding GH¢30 million to EXIM Bank.
The plea bargain notification, signed by Deputy Attorney-General Dr. Justice Srem-Sai, has been submitted to the court as parties prepare to engage in negotiations under Ghana’s plea bargaining framework.
