Ghana NPP Chairman Wontumi seeks plea bargain in EXIM Bank fraud case

Bernard Antwi‑Boasiako, the Ashanti Regional chairman of Ghana's New Patriotic Party, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, has filed a request to negotiate a plea bargain in the Accra High Court over an alleged fraud case involving the Ghana Export‑Import Bank (EXIM Bank). Prosecutors allege that between 2018 and 2022 he and a co‑accused, Thomas Antwi‑Boasiako, fraudulently obtained GH¢14.3 million from the bank through false pretences and used a forged receipt to secure an additional GH¢4 million, leading to a total loss of more than GH¢30 million to the state. The charges also include money‑laundering and intentionally causing financial loss to a public body. On June 5 2026, Wontumi’s lawyer Andy Appiah‑Kubi sent a letter to the Attorney‑General requesting plea negotiations, and the Deputy Attorney‑General, Dr Justice Srem‑Sai, filed a notice on June 11 2026 under Section 162C(3) of the Criminal and Other Offences (Procedure) Act to inform the court. The plea‑bargain request does not constitute an admission of guilt, according to the lawyer, and the case remains pending before the High Court.