Chairman Wontumi Faces Renewed Charges Over GH¢14m Ghana Exim Bank Fraud

• The state refiled charges against former NPP Ashanti Regional Chairman Bernard Antwi Boasiako
• Wontumi faces fresh charges including defrauding by false pretences, money laundering, and causing financial loss to the state
• His lawyers requested an adjournment in court, saying the new charge sheet was only served on the morning of the hearing

The state has refiled criminal charges against Bernard Antwi Boasiako, the former Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) widely known as Chairman Wontumi, following the collapse of plea negotiations between his legal team and the prosecution.

The new charge sheet, filed on 22 September 2026, contains four counts: defrauding by false pretences, uttering a forged document, money laundering, and causing financial loss to the state.

The charges relate to his alleged involvement in defrauding Ghana Exim Bank of more than GH¢14 million and causing estimated state losses of GH¢30 million.

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Wontumi was first arraigned on 18 May 2026. His defence, initially led by Andy Appiah Kubi and subsequently by Samuel Atta Akyea, entered into plea discussions with the prosecution in the weeks that followed.

On 27 July 2026, Deputy Attorney-General Dr. Justice Srem-Sai told the court that the negotiations were "far advanced."

Despite that assurance, the two sides were ultimately unable to reach a settlement, prompting the state to abandon the original charge sheet and refile.

Court Proceedings Stalled by Timing Dispute

When the matter came before the court on Tuesday, state prosecutors moved to withdraw the original charge sheet to make way for the refiled version.

Wontumi's lawyers, however, pushed back, arguing that they had only received the new charge sheet on the morning of the court sitting and had not had adequate time to review its contents. They requested an adjournment on that basis.

The case now proceeds under the revised charges as both sides prepare for what appears to be a contested prosecution.

Wontumi to appeal 20-year jail sentence

Meanwhile, YEN.com.gh has reported that Chairman Wontumi's defence team have hinted at filing an appeal following a High Court ruling.

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With profound implications for the New Patriotic Party and Ghanaian politics, many are left wondering how this high-profile case will unfold in the coming weeks.

Source: YEN.com.gh