Wontumi's plea bargain is admission of guilt

Member of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Communication Team, Hamza Suhuyini, has stated that the decision by Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Bernard Antwi-Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, to pursue a plea bargain in his ongoing criminal trial amounts to an admission of guilt.

Speaking on the Big Issue on Saturday, June 13, Suhuyini argued that the legal step cannot be separated from its practical implications, insisting that plea bargaining, by its very nature, suggests some level of responsibility on the part of the accused.

He maintained that although the law allows every accused person to explore plea negotiations, including Wontumi in the ongoing EXIM Bank-related case, the move carries interpretative weight that goes beyond legal technicalities.

“From where I sit, it will be difficult for the government and the judge to refuse to create the opportunity for him to engage with the state. Because, mind you, this is a government that vows to respect the fundamental human rights of all citizens of this country, regardless of their partisan persuasion.”

He stressed that the principle of fairness in justice allows defendants to seek plea arrangements where appropriate, including potential reductions in charges or penalties depending on the outcome of negotiations.

“So from the layman's point of view, this is clearly an admission of some measure of guilt as far as Chairman Wontumi is concerned,” he noted

The Accra High Court has been notified that Mr. Antwi-Boasiako has initiated plea negotiations through his lawyer, Andy Appiah-Kubi, with the Attorney-General's office formally acknowledging the request in a filing dated June 11, 2026.

Court documents indicate that the application was made under Section 162C(3) of the Criminal and Other Offences (Procedure) Act, 1960 (Act 30), with the state prosecuting the case on behalf of the Republic.

Prosecutors allege that between 2018 and 2022, the accused persons obtained GH¢14.3 million from EXIM Bank through false pretences using Wontumi Farms Limited as the vehicle for the transactions.

They further claim that a forged receipt was used to secure an additional GH¢4 million facility, while also accusing the first accused of knowingly benefiting from proceeds considered to be fraudulently obtained, forming the basis of a money laundering charge before the court.

The case remains before the Accra High Court as legal proceedings continue alongside the newly disclosed plea bargain request.

-citinewsroom