Court orders State Attorney to file disclosures in Wontumi EXIM Bank fraud case

An Accra High Court has ordered the state to file disclosures within 14 days in the EXIM Bank fraud case involving Bernard Antwi Boasiako, aka Wontumi.

The order follows the collapse of attempts by the prosecution and defence to reach an agreement under a plea-bargaining process initiated by Boasiako's lawyers.

Reverend Joshua Sackey, Principal State Attorney, told the Court on Thursday that the parties had been unable to reach an agreement.

“We have not been able reach an agreement in the plea bargaining. We seek the direction of the court to file our disclosures,” he said.

Counsel for Boasiako, Mr Samuel Atta Akyea, said he understood that plea bargaining could be pursued at any stage of the proceedings.

He said “the continuation of the case did stop them from the plea bargaining.”

The trial judge noted that attempts at plea bargaining had failed on two occasions and that the 30-day period for the process had elapsed.

The Court consequently directed the state to file its disclosures to pave the way for a Case Management Conference (CMC) on September 22, 2026.

The case was adjourned to September 22 in the absence of Boasiako, a former Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP).

Boasiako is accused of obtaining a GH¢19 million loan facility from EXIM Bank for a maize farming project on 100 acres of land.

The prosecution alleges that the project was not undertaken and that documents were presented in support of the purchase of agricultural machinery valued at GH¢4 million.

The loan facility is alleged to have increased to about GH¢30 million.

Boasiako and his farm are alleged to have committed the offences with an associate, Thomas Antwi Boasiako, who is still at large.

Boasiako, who is currently serving a prison sentence, has denied the charges.

GNA