Kumasi: The Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Bernard Antwi-Boasiako, widely recognized as Chairman Wontumi, has entered a plea of not guilty in response to multiple charges. These charges include allegations of fraud, forgery, money laundering, and causing financial loss to the state. The case revolves around over GHS30 million linked to the Ghana Export-Import Bank (EXIM Bank).
According to Ghana Web, the Office of the Attorney General has filed a charge sheet detailing accusations against Chairman Wontumi and a co-accused, Thomas Antwi-Boasiako, who is currently at large. The allegations state that in 2018, they obtained GHS14,302,000 from EXIM Bank by false pretences. The prosecution asserts that Chairman Wontumi used a forged receipt, presented as genuine, to secure an additional GHS4 million from the bank.
Further details from court documents reveal that this forged document was submitted to EXIM Bank officials as proof of payment to support the transaction. On the charge of money laundering, the prosecution alleges that between 2018 and 2022, Chairman Wontumi knowingly took possession of part of the GHS14.302 million disbursed to Wontumi Farms Limited, aware that the funds were derived from fraudulent activities.