Former New Patriotic Party (NPP) Ashanti Regional Chairman Bernard Antwi-Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, on Tuesday, October 13, 2026, pleaded not guilty to five amended charges at the Accra High Court in the alleged GH¢30 million Ghana Export-Import Bank (EXIM Bank) fraud case.
The case, presided over by Justice Halimah El-Alawa Abdul-Baasit, has been adjourned to October 27, 2026, at 11 a.m. for a Case Management Conference.
Later on Tuesday, his lawyer, Samuel Atta Akyea, said plea-bargaining talks between his client and the state had collapsed because the proposed terms were “not favourable to our client at all.” He also denied seeking a presidential pardon for Wontumi.
Wontumi is already serving a 20-year jail term with hard labour after he was convicted on illegal mining-related charges by an Accra High Court on July 20, 2026.
Wontumi pleads not guilty to amended EXIM Bank charges
The court approved a prosecution request to replace the charge sheet filed on May 15, 2026, with an amended one filed on September 22, 2026. The defence did not oppose the substitution.
Wontumi then took his plea afresh on the five counts. The prosecution was led by Principal State Attorney Joshua Sackey.
The five counts are:
- Defrauding by false pretence
- Two counts of uttering a forged document
- Money laundering
- Intentionally causing financial loss to a public body
His co-accused are Thomas Antwi-Boasiako, who is said to be at large, and Wontumi Farms Limited.
What the amended EXIM Bank fraud charge sheet says
The prosecution alleges that the accused obtained about GH¢14.302 million from EXIM Bank in 2018 by false pretences for a proposed large-scale farming project, and caused the bank to lose GH¢30 million between 2018 and 2022.
The amended charge sheet now names the allegedly forged document as a pro-forma invoice from EPSONS Ghana Limited. Prosecutors say it was used in 2017 to obtain GH¢4 million from the bank.
The invoice was allegedly linked to the purchase of agricultural machinery.
Case figures at a glance
- Amount allegedly obtained from EXIM Bank (2018): about GH¢14.302 million
- Alleged total loss to EXIM Bank (2018–2022): GH¢30 million
- Amount tied to the alleged forged EPSONS invoice (2017): GH¢4 million
- Number of counts on the amended charge sheet: 5
- Original charge sheet: filed May 15, 2026
- Amended charge sheet: filed September 22, 2026
- Existing jail term in the galamsey case: 20 years with hard labour
Why Wontumi’s plea bargain talks collapsed
Speaking on Citi TV’s Eyewitness News, Atta Akyea said negotiations with the state over the EXIM Bank case failed because the proposed terms were unfavourable to the defence.
He declined to give details of the talks, citing confidentiality, and did not say which terms the defence rejected.
The plea talks began earlier this year under Wontumi’s former lawyer, Andy Appiah-Kubi. In July, Deputy Attorney-General Dr Justice Srem-Sai said the negotiations were far advanced before they later broke down.
Atta Akyea denies seeking presidential pardon for Wontumi
Asked whether the defence had formally asked President John Dramani Mahama to pardon Wontumi, Atta Akyea said: “No, please. We didn’t do that.”
He, however, said he had expected the President might consider clemency in a galamsey-related case, given how widespread illegal mining is and the involvement of influential people in it.
On October 5, President Mahama pardoned 863 convicted persons under Article 72(1) of the 1992 Constitution after consulting the Council of State, as part of Independence Anniversary commemorations.
Defence insists EXIM Bank loan dispute is civil, not criminal
The defence maintains that the matter is a loan repayment dispute rather than a crime. Atta Akyea argued that an unpaid loan alone does not prove criminal wrongdoing and that EXIM Bank should reconcile its accounts with the company to establish what is owed.
Wontumi and Wontumi Farms have filed a separate High Court suit against EXIM Bank, the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) and the Attorney-General, seeking a declaration that the dispute is civil.
They also want an order of accounts on loans advanced between January 16, 2018, and October 28, 2020, and a declaration that the collateral and insurance cover on the loans are enough to clear the debt.
After the plea on Tuesday, the defence asked for bail, arguing that the dispute is civil in nature and noting that EOCO had previously granted Wontumi bail.
What the EXIM Bank case means for Wontumi and the NPP
With the plea deal off the table, Wontumi must now defend the EXIM Bank charges in a full trial while he serves his 20-year sentence in the illegal mining case. Readers can revisit how Wontumi was convicted and jailed on illegal mining (galamsey) charges.
The case remains politically sensitive for the NPP, as Wontumi was one of the party’s most prominent regional figures before his conviction.
For the state, the outcome will test efforts by the Office of the Attorney-General to recover funds allegedly lost by public financial institutions.
What happens next in the Wontumi EXIM Bank trial
The case returns to the Accra High Court on October 27, 2026, at 11 a.m. for a Case Management Conference, where the court is expected to set out how the trial will proceed.
The separate civil suit seeking to have the matter declared a loan dispute is also pending before the High Court.
Key details at a glance
- Chairman Wontumi pleaded not guilty to five amended charges on October 13, 2026.
- Court: Accra High Court, presided over by Justice Halimah El-Alawa Abdul-Baasit.
- Alleged loss to EXIM Bank: GH¢30 million; amount allegedly obtained: about GH¢14.302 million.
- Plea-bargaining talks collapsed over “unfavourable” terms, says lawyer Samuel Atta Akyea.
- Atta Akyea denies seeking a presidential pardon for his client.
- Wontumi is serving a 20-year jail term for illegal mining-related offences.
- Next hearing: October 27, 2026, at 11 a.m.
FAQs
What is Chairman Wontumi charged with in the EXIM Bank case?
He faces five counts: defrauding by false pretence, two counts of uttering a forged document, money laundering and intentionally causing financial loss to a public body. He has pleaded not guilty to all of them.
Why did Wontumi’s plea bargain with the Attorney-General fail?
His lawyer, Samuel Atta Akyea, says the terms offered were not favourable to his client. He did not disclose the specific terms, citing confidentiality.
When is Wontumi’s next court date?
The Accra High Court adjourned the case to October 27, 2026, at 11 a.m. for a Case Management Conference.
Chairman Wontumi’s not-guilty plea to five amended charges, together with the collapse of plea talks, sets the stage for a full trial in the GH¢30 million EXIM Bank case, even as he serves a 20-year sentence for illegal mining. The defence insists the matter is a civil loan dispute, while the state is pressing ahead with criminal prosecution, with the next hearing set for October 27.
