High Court Adjourns Wontumi GH¢30 Million Exim Bank Fraud Case to Allow Plea Negotiations

An Accra High Court has adjourned the GH¢30 million Exim Bank fraud case involving Bernard Antwi Boasiako, the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party widely known as Wontumi, to July 6, 2026, to allow for the continuation of plea bargain discussions with the State.

The adjournment followed a formal request by the accused, communicated through his counsel Andy Appiah-Kubi, to initiate plea negotiations under Section 162(2) of Act 30. Deputy Attorney General Justice Srem-Sai told the court on Thursday that the accused had invoked the statutory provisions to begin the process and that preliminary discussions between the defence and prosecution had already taken place.

Mr Appiah-Kubi proposed a two-week adjournment, which the court granted after hearing submissions from both sides.

Charges and Background

Mr Boasiako, a businessman who also heads Wontumi Farms, faces charges of money laundering, wilfully causing financial loss to the State, uttering forged documents, and defrauding by false pretences. He has denied all charges and remains on bail. A co-accused, Thomas Antwi Boasiako, is reportedly at large.

The charges stem from a loan application Mr Boasiako made to the Export-Import Bank of Ghana in January 2018, seeking GH¢19 million to fund a farming project on a 100-acre parcel of land. The bank approved GH¢18.7 million for the acquisition of agricultural machinery, and by March of that year, GH¢14.3 million had been disbursed to Wontumi Farms.

Prosecutors allege that the farming project was never carried out. Investigators further claim that receipts totalling GH¢4 million, submitted by the accused to support purported purchases of agricultural equipment, were not genuine.

Broader Pattern of Financial Accountability Cases

The case is one of several high-profile fraud prosecutions currently working their way through the courts, as authorities pursue allegations of misuse of public funds and state-backed lending facilities. The proceedings come amid broader scrutiny of prominent political figures, with former Assin Central MP Kennedy Agyapong having recently warned the NPP he would expose undisclosed details of alleged corruption if provoked by the party.

The next hearing on July 6 is expected to provide clarity on whether the plea negotiations will result in a resolution or whether the case will proceed to full trial.

Image Source: GHANA BUSINESS NEWS