No plea agreement yet in Chairman Wontumi's Exim Bank trial – Deputy AG

Deputy Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Dr Justice Srem-Sai, has said that no plea agreement has been reached in the ongoing criminal case involving New Patriotic Party (NPP) Ashanti Regional Chairman, Bernard Antwi-Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, and two others.

In a post on his Facebook on Saturday, July 18, 2026, Dr Srem-Sai said the statutory 30-day period for concluding plea bargain negotiations in the case will expire next week.

Plea Bargain: Court grants extension in Wontumi's EXIM Bank case

He indicated that despite the ongoing process, the parties have not reached an agreement.

“The statutory 30-day period for concluding the plea bargain in The Republic v Bernard Antwi-Boasiako & 2 Others (the Exim Bank trial) will end next week. I can confirm that we have not reached a plea agreement yet,” he shared.

He, however, did not provide further details on the status of the negotiations or the next steps if no agreement is reached before the deadline.

Wontumi and two others face charges related to an alleged scheme that caused significant financial loss to the Ghana Export-Import (EXIM) Bank.

According to court documents and reports, the accused are alleged to have defrauded the bank of approximately GH¢14.3 million to GH¢30 million through actions including presenting a forged receipt, fraud, money laundering, and causing financial loss to a public institution.

Wontumi’s legal team, led by lawyer Andy Appiah-Kubi, initiated the plea-bargaining process by writing to the Attorney General’s office. The request was formally communicated to the court earlier in June 2026.

Both parties jointly sought time to explore a potential settlement under Ghana’s plea-bargaining framework, which could involve a guilty plea in exchange for reduced charges, repayment with interest, or other terms.

Meanwhile, Wontumi, along with Wontumi Farms Limited and Thomas Antwi-Boasiako (who is reportedly on the run), have pleaded not guilty to the charges when the matter first came before the court on May 18, 2026.

The jail time Wontumi might get if his plea bargaining in Exim Bank case fails

The case stems from events around 2018 involving a loan or facility from EXIM Bank.

On June 18, 2026, the court, presided over by Justice Halimah El-Alawa Abdul-Baasit, had previously adjourned the matter to allow initial plea talks.



MAG/VPO

Ask Kufuor about the money I spent and Akufo-Addo the cars I bought for him Chief fumes

TWI NEWS