Accra: The Accra High Court has extended the deadline for New Patriotic Party (NPP) Ashanti Regional Chairman Bernard Antwi-Boasiako, known as Chairman Wontumi, to pursue a plea bargain in the GHS30 million EXIM Bank fraud case. The court has given him until August 27, 2026, to continue plea bargain discussions, following an appeal for more time by his new lead counsel, Samuel Atta Akyea.
According to Ghana Web, the request for an extension was made during the first court appearance since Atta Akyea took over Wontumi's defense after lawyer Andy Appiah-Kubi withdrew from the case. Despite Atta Akyea's request for an adjournment until October, the prosecution argued that negotiations were significantly advanced and could be concluded sooner.
Deputy Attorney General, Dr. Justice Srem-Sai, noted that both parties had previously exchanged proposals, but negotiations were interrupted by Wontumi's conviction in a separate illegal mining case. He explained that while plea bargain discussions can continue alongside criminal proceedings, the State preferred a brief adjournment to finalize negotiations.
Dr. Srem-Sai also mentioned that the prosecution was withholding disclosures to avoid impacting ongoing negotiations, requesting the court to accept a short adjournment for completing discussions.
Atta Akyea supported the prosecution's request for more time, expressing hope that the discussions could lead to the withdrawal of charges against Wontumi. However, the court clarified that criminal proceedings would not be indefinitely delayed.
Justice Halima Abdul-Alawa ruled that while negotiations could continue, the case would proceed to trial if no agreement was reached. "I want to stay within Section 152(c)(5). I will adjourn with the view that the case is proceeding to trial without prejudice to the plea bargain," the judge stated.
The court adjourned the case to August 27, 2026. Wontumi and his co-accused, Thomas Antwi-Boasiako, face charges of defrauding by false pretence, forgery, money laundering, and intentionally causing financial loss of over GHS30 million to a public institution. The prosecution alleges that between 2018 and 2022, they obtained GHS14.3 million from the Ghana Export-Import Bank through Wontumi Farms Limited for a non-existent farming project and submitted a forged receipt for an additional GHS4 million credit facility.