Accra High Court Sets 6 July Deadline for Chairman Wontumi Plea Bargain Progress Reports

The judicial framework handling high-profile white-collar crime has established a strict operational timeline for one of the country’s most prominent political figures.

An Accra High Court has granted the Attorney General’s Office and defense lawyers for Ashanti Regional New Patriotic Party Chairman Bernard Antwi-Boasiako until July 6 2026 to present a comprehensive update on their ongoing plea bargain negotiations. Popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, the influential politician faces serious state prosecution over an alleged GH¢30 million credit facility fraud involving the Ghana Export-Import Bank.

The state criminal prosecution centers on complex corporate documentation discrepancies and the alleged diversion of public agricultural development funds. According to formal state prosecution files, Wontumi serves as the primary shareholder of Wontumi Farms Limited, an agricultural venture incorporated in December 2017.

Logic dictates that a corporate entity cannot legally execute board resolutions or submit binding project proposals before its official date of state incorporation. Investigators from the Economic and Organised Crime Office allege that Wontumi secured a massive GH¢19 million facility from EXIM Bank in 2018 using backdated documents and unverified claims of possessing a 100,000-acre farming tract.

Prosecutors contend that between 2018 and 2022, Bernard Antwi-Boasiako and his co-director Thomas Antwi-Boasiako fraudulently obtained over GH¢14 million from the bank under false pretenses while utilizing forged receipts to request an additional GH¢4 million.

Instead of funding local food security, the state claims substantial sums were funneled into personal investments. Following his formal arrest in March 2025 and subsequent May 2026 arraignment, Wontumi’s lead counsel, Andy Appiah-Kubi, initiated formal plea negotiations under Act 1079 to avoid a lengthy trial.

Hoping to comfortably escape severe financial loss charges while state investigators possess bank records showing your corporate documents pre-date your actual company incorporation is an absolute logical failure. While political commentators will naturally view this high-level trial through a partisan lens, the state judiciary relies strictly on cold documentary evidence.

True legal accountability requires the complete recovery of public cash assets rather than endless political theater. By utilizing the statutory plea bargain window before the July 6 2026 deadline, the defense is taking a highly practical route to potentially mitigate a massive prison sentence, while the state ensures that valuable public funds return to the agricultural sector where they belong.

Also Read: Legal Drama Hits Wontumi Case: NDC Executive Claims Defense Lawyer Fears Impending Conviction