Court sets date for AG, Wontumi to reach plea bargain deal in EXIM Bank trial

By Yaw Opoku Amoako June 18, 2026

The much-watched fraud case against Ashanti Regional NPP Chairman Bernard Antwi-Boasiako has hit pause as the court gave both sides breathing room to explore whether a plea-bargain deal might be struck behind closed doors.

An Accra High Court has set July 6, 2026, as the date when prosecutors and Wontumi’s legal team must return to explain what they’ve been discussing during this reprieve.

And that’s the key detail everyone’s watching — because Wontumi’s camp has signalled they’re open to a plea bargain. That’s a significant shift from the not guilty pleas he entered when the trial kicked off just weeks earlier.

So what’s the case actually about? Buckle up, because it’s a wild ride through alleged financial fraud, forged documents, and millions of cedis that seemingly vanished into thin air.

The Setup

Back in 2017, Wontumi created Wontumi Farms Limited, a company ostensibly set up to run agricultural operations. In January 2018, he walked into the Ghana Export-Import Bank seeking GH¢19 million to bankroll a farming venture.

The pitch was smooth — his company had supposedly secured a massive 100,000-acre parcel of land, all ready to go.

There was just one problem: according to investigators, the documents backing up the loan application were dated before the company was even legally registered. That’s not a small oversight. That’s the kind of detail that makes prosecutors sit up and take notice.

Following the Money

Between 2018 and 2022, some GH¢14.3 million made its way from EXIM Bank into accounts connected to the scheme. Then came another GH¢4 million facility — this time allegedly secured with a forged receipt. But here’s where it gets murky: rather than funding the agricultural project everyone was told about, the money took a detour into Wontumi’s personal coffers and funded a variety of unrelated business ventures.

When EXIM Bank realised what had happened and tried to recover the funds, they hit a wall. The total damage? Prosecutors are putting it at over GH¢30 million.

The Charges

By May 2026, after investigations by the Economic and Organised Crime Office that began in March 2025, Wontumi found himself facing four serious charges: defrauding by false pretences, uttering forged documents, money laundering, and intentionally causing financial loss to a public institution. He initially pleaded not guilty to all of them.

But fast forward a few weeks, and suddenly his lawyers are filing paperwork suggesting he might be willing to talk about a deal.

What Happens Next?

If a plea bargain is struck — and that’s still a big if — Wontumi could plead guilty to lesser charges in exchange for a reduced sentence. But nothing’s official until the court blesses it, and prosecutors have to sign off too. They’ll be weighing factors like how strong their evidence actually is, whether they can recover any state funds, and what the public interest demands.

When everyone reconvenes on July 6, the mystery will finally be solved: does a deal get announced, or does this trial march forward into the courtroom?

Either way, all eyes will be on that courthouse.