Accra, June 18 (GNA) – An Accra High Court has adjourned the GHS 30 million Exim Bank fraud case involving Bernard Antwi Boasiako, popularly known as Wontumi, to July 6, 2026, to enable the court to receive updates on ongoing plea negotiations.
The adjournment followed a request by the accused, made through his lawyer, Mr Andy Appiah-Kubi, to initiate plea bargain discussions with the State.
At Thursday’s hearing, Deputy Attorney General, Dr Justice Srem-Sai, informed the court that formal notice had been filed for the commencement of plea negotiations under Section 162(2) of Act 30.
He explained that the accused had invoked the provisions of the law to begin the negotiation process and that discussions with defence counsel had already taken place to allow a short adjournment for that purpose.
He further sought the court’s approval to provide updates on the progress of the negotiations at the next sitting.
Counsel for the accused, Mr Appiah-Kubi, proposed a two-week adjournment, which the court granted after considering submissions from both the prosecution and the defence.
Mr Boasiako, a businessman and the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), is standing trial together with one Thomas Antwi Boasiako, who is reportedly at large.
The two are associated with Wontumi Farms and face charges including money laundering, wilfully causing financial loss to the State, uttering forged documents and defrauding by false pretences. Mr Boasiako has denied all the charges and is currently on bail.
Court documents signed by Dr Justice Srem-Sai, the first accused, through his lawyer, wrote to the Attorney General on June 5, formally requesting the initiation of plea negotiations in relation to the charges.
Prosecution details indicate that in January 2018, Mr Boasiako approached the Exim Bank for a loan facility of GHS 19 million to support a farming project on a 100-acre parcel of land.
The bank subsequently approved GHS 18.7 million for the acquisition of agricultural machinery. By March 2018, an amount of GHS 14.3 million had been disbursed to Wontumi Farms. However, investigations later revealed that the proposed farming project was never undertaken.
The accused is also alleged to have presented documents described as receipts to support the purchase of agricultural machinery valued at GHS 4 million, which the prosecution claimed were not genuine.
GNA
Edited by Agnes Boye-Doe
Reporter: Joyce Danso
Email: [email protected]