The Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party, Bernard Antwi-Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, has formally requested plea negotiations with the Attorney-General in his ongoing criminal trial over an alleged Ghana Exim Bank loan fraud.
The Attorney-General’s Office notified the Accra High Court of the move on Thursday, June 11, 2026, after Wontumi’s lawyer, Andy Appiah-Kubi, wrote to the Attorney-General on June 5 seeking the commencement of plea negotiations.
The notification was filed by Deputy Attorney-General Dr Justice Srem-Sai under Section 162C(3) of the Criminal and Other Offences (Procedure) Act, 1960, Act 30, which governs plea negotiation procedures in Ghana’s criminal justice system.
Chairman Wontumi, Thomas Antwi-Boasiako, who is reported to be at large, and Wontumi Farms Limited are standing trial over allegations linked to a farming project financed by the Ghana Export-Import Bank.
They face four charges: defrauding by false pretence, uttering or authoring a forged document, money laundering, and intentionally causing financial loss to a public institution.
According to the prosecution, Wontumi Farms Limited allegedly secured about GH¢14.3 million from Exim Bank in 2018 after applying for a facility intended to support a large-scale agricultural project. Prosecutors allege that the company claimed to have secured 100,000 acres of land for the project and submitted documents to support the loan application.
The state further alleges that although the money was disbursed, no farming activities were carried out, no agricultural machinery was purchased, and no workers were employed for the proposed project.
Prosecutors also claim that one document presented as proof of the purchase of agricultural machinery was not genuine. They allege that a pro-forma invoice was altered and presented as a receipt in support of the transaction.
The charge sheet further alleges that the accused persons caused financial loss exceeding GH¢30 million to the Ghana Export-Import Bank in connection with the transaction.
Chairman Wontumi pleaded not guilty to all four charges when he appeared before the High Court in Accra on May 18, 2026. The court admitted him to bail and directed the prosecution to file disclosures ahead of the next stage of the case.
The matter has been adjourned to June 18, 2026, for a case management conference.
Wontumi’s lawyer has stressed that the request for plea negotiations should not be treated as an admission of guilt. He said the process is allowed under Ghanaian law and does not take away the accused person’s constitutional right to be presumed innocent until proven guilty by a court.
A plea negotiation, if successful, may lead to an agreement between the accused person and the state, but such an agreement would still require legal scrutiny and the supervision of the court.
The Attorney-General’s Office has not announced the terms of any proposed agreement. For now, the case remains before the High Court, and the charges against the accused persons remain allegations.
What Happens Next
The court is expected to continue with the case management process on June 18, 2026. By then, further clarity may emerge on whether the plea negotiations will progress, whether the prosecution will proceed with trial preparation, or whether the parties will present any proposed agreement for the court’s consideration.
