Wontumi GH¢30m Exim Bank case… court grants more time for plea bargain negotiations

The High Court in Accra has extended the deadline for plea bargain negotiations in the alleged GH¢30 million Ghana Export-Import (EXIM) Bank fraud case involving Bernard Antwi Boasiako, the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), also known as Wontumi.

The court granted the Attorney-General and Mr. Boasiako's legal team additional time to finalize discussions on a plea agreement. This legal avenue allows an accused person to potentially avoid a full trial by reaching a settlement with the prosecution, subject to court approval. If approved, the court can impose a fine or a non-custodial sentence.

Mr. Boasiako, along with a second accused who is at large and Wontumi Farms Limited, faces charges of defrauding by false pretence, money laundering, and uttering forged documents. The State alleges that Mr. Boasiako applied for and received a loan and grant facility of GH¢18.73 million from EXIM Bank in 2018 for a farming project, with GH¢14.3 million disbursed to Wontumi Farms Limited. However, investigations reportedly revealed that the farming project was never undertaken and agricultural machinery was not purchased as claimed. The prosecution further alleges that an altered document was presented to the bank to secure further funds, and substantial amounts from the facility were used for personal and other business ventures, with recovery efforts proving unsuccessful.