We have not reached plea agreement yet in Wontumi's EXIM Bank case — Deputy Attorney General

The statutory 30-day period for plea negotiations in the criminal case involving New Patriotic Party (NPP) Ashanti Regional Chairman, Bernard Antwi-Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, and two others is set to expire next week, with no agreement reached so far.

Deputy Attorney-General Justice Srem-Sai has confirmed that negotiations between the prosecution and the accused persons have not resulted in a plea bargain.

In a Facebook post, he stated: “The statutory 30-day period for concluding the plea bargain in The Republic v Bernard Antwi-Boasiako & 2 Others (the Exim Bank trial) will end next week. I can confirm that we have not reached a plea agreement yet.”

His comments come after the High Court in Accra adjourned proceedings to July 27, 2026, to allow both parties additional time to continue discussions aimed at reaching a plea agreement.

Chairman Wontumi and the two other accused persons are standing trial over allegations relating to a loan facility obtained from the Ghana Export-Import (EXIM) Bank for a farming project.

According to the prosecution, Bernard Antwi-Boasiako and Thomas Antwi-Boasiako fraudulently secured approximately GH¢14.3 million from EXIM Bank through Wontumi Farms Limited between 2018 and 2022 by means of false pretences.

The prosecution further alleges that the accused submitted a forged receipt in support of an application for an additional GH¢4 million loan facility.

They have been charged with obtaining money by false pretences, fraudulent breach of trust and money laundering.

The prosecution also contends that the alleged transactions resulted in a financial loss of more than GH¢30 million to EXIM Bank.

The accused persons have denied all the charges and elected to enter plea negotiations with the prosecution.

The High Court is expected to receive an update on the status of the negotiations when the case is called on July 27, 2026.