No Plea Deal Yet in GH¢30 Million EXIM Bank Case Involving Chairman Wontumi – Deputy AG

By Yaw Opoku Amoako July 18, 2026

Plea bargain discussions between New Patriotic Party (NPP) Ashanti Regional Chairman Bernard Antwi-Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, and the prosecution have yet to produce an agreement as the legal deadline for negotiations draws closer.

Deputy Attorney-General and Minister for Justice, Justice Srem-Sai, disclosed that no settlement has been reached in the ongoing plea bargaining process involving Chairman Wontumi and two other accused persons in what has become known as the EXIM Bank trial.

In an update on X (formerly Twitter), Justice Srem-Sai revealed that the statutory 30-day window provided under the law for plea negotiations will expire next week.

“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,” he stated.

His comments come after the High Court in Accra adjourned proceedings to July 27, 2026, to allow both the prosecution and defence additional time to continue negotiations in an effort to reach a possible settlement.

Chairman Wontumi and his co-accused are standing trial over allegations relating to a GH¢14.3 million loan facility allegedly obtained from the Ghana Export-Import (EXIM) Bank for a farming project.

According to the prosecution, Bernard Antwi-Boasiako and Thomas Antwi-Boasiako allegedly secured the funds for Wontumi Farms Limited between 2018 and 2022 through false representations made to the bank.

Prosecutors further allege that the accused later submitted a forged receipt while seeking an additional GH¢4 million loan facility and subsequently benefited from funds that had been fraudulently obtained.

The three accused persons have been charged with multiple offences, including obtaining money by false pretences and money laundering. The prosecution maintains that the alleged scheme resulted in financial losses exceeding GH¢30 million to EXIM Bank.

Despite the ongoing plea discussions, no agreement has been reached, meaning the case is expected to proceed through the normal court process if negotiations fail before the statutory deadline expires.

The High Court is expected to receive an update on the status of the plea bargaining process when the matter is called on July 27, after which the court will determine the next course of action if no agreement is filed.

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 with the accused persons yet.
— Justice Srem-Sai (@JusticeSremSai) July 18, 2026