Court gives AG 14 days to file disclosures in GH₵30m EXIM Bank fraud case

The High Court in Accra has set a 14-day deadline for the Attorney-General to present disclosures in a GH₵30 million fraud case linked to the Ghana Export-Import Bank (EXIM Bank). This case involves Bernard Antwi Boasiako, the former Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), also known as Wontumi.

The disclosures are expected to detail the list of documents the Attorney-General's office plans to use in prosecuting the case. The court has adjourned the matter to September 22, 2026, for a case management conference. Bernard Antwi Boasiako is currently serving a 20-year prison sentence at the Nsawam Medium Security Prison following his conviction for facilitating illegal mining activities at his Samreboi concession.

In the EXIM Bank case, Mr. Boasiako entered plea-bargaining negotiations with the Attorney-General on June 5, 2026. The State had charged him with allegedly obtaining an EXIM Bank facility through fraudulent means for a farming project. Under Ghana's plea-bargaining system, an accused person can potentially avoid a full trial by reaching an agreement with the prosecution, subject to court approval. If approved, the court can impose a fine, a non-custodial sentence, or another lawful punishment.

Mr. Boasiako, as the first accused, along with his brother Thomas Antwi-Boasiako (second accused, currently at large) and Wontumi Farms Limited, face charges including defrauding by false pretense, money laundering, and uttering forged documents. The prosecution alleges that Mr. Boasiako applied for GH₵18.73 million in funding from EXIM Bank in January 2018 for a large-scale farming project, claiming to have secured 100,000 acres of land. The bank approved a loan and grant facility, disbursing GH₵14.3 million to Wontumi Farms Limited. Investigations reportedly revealed that the farming project was never undertaken, and no agricultural machinery was purchased as claimed. The accused allegedly presented an altered document, originally a pro forma invoice, to the bank as proof of purchase for GH₵4 million worth of equipment to secure further funds. The prosecution further claims that substantial amounts from the facility were used for personal purposes and other ventures, and EXIM Bank's efforts to recover the funds have been unsuccessful.