By Ashiadey Dotse
The Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Bernard Antwi-Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, has moved to seek a plea bargain in the ongoing criminal case involving alleged fraud linked to the Ghana Export-Import (EXIM) Bank.
The Accra High Court was informed that Wontumi has formally initiated steps to negotiate a plea deal with the state as the high-profile case continues.
According to court filings, the request was made through his lawyer, Andy Appiah-Kubi, in a letter dated June 5, 2026.
The Attorney-General’s Office confirmed the development in a filing presented to the court on June 11, 2026, under Section 162C(3) of Act 30.
The prosecution alleges that between 2018 and 2022, Chairman Wontumi, together with Wontumi Farms Limited and another accused person, Thomas Antwi-Boasiako, who is currently at large, fraudulently obtained GH¢14.3 million from EXIM Bank through false pretences.
Court documents further state that the accused persons allegedly used forged documents, including a receipt, to secure an additional GH¢4 million facility.
The state also claims that the accused persons knowingly benefited from the funds, with the alleged transactions resulting in a financial loss of over GH¢30 million to EXIM Bank.
The Attorney-General’s Office, led in court by Deputy Attorney-General Dr Justice Srem-Sai, has notified the court of the plea bargain request as legal processes continue.
The court is expected to take further steps in the coming days as negotiations between the parties proceed under the criminal procedure framework.
