Ashanti Regional New Patriotic Party (NPP) Chairman Bernard Antwi-Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, has reportedly failed in his attempt to secure a plea bargain with the state in the ongoing EXIM Bank fraud case.
According to a TV3 report, the Attorney General’s office rejected the proposal submitted by Wontumi’s legal team after determining that the offer did not meet its expectations.
The development comes after Wontumi was sentenced to 20 years’ imprisonment in a separate case in which he was convicted on charges related to illegal mining.
Sharing the update on its official X account on Tuesday, July 21, 2026, TV3 stated: “Attorney General’s office rejects Chairman Wontumi’s plea deal in EXIM Bank fraud case. Plea negotiations failed because Wontumi’s proposal didn’t meet expectations.”
In the EXIM Bank case, Wontumi and two others are facing charges over an alleged fraud scheme said to have caused substantial financial losses to the Ghana Export-Import (EXIM) Bank.
Court documents and earlier reports allege that the accused defrauded the bank of between GH¢14.3 million and GH¢30 million through offences including presenting a forged receipt, fraud, money laundering, and causing financial loss to a state institution.
Earlier in June 2026, Wontumi’s legal team, led by Andy Appiah-Kubi, initiated plea bargain discussions by formally writing to the Attorney General’s office. The request was subsequently communicated to the court, with both parties seeking time to explore a possible settlement under Ghana’s plea-bargaining framework.
The proposed arrangement could have involved a guilty plea in exchange for reduced charges, repayment with interest or other agreed terms.
Wontumi, Wontumi Farms Limited and Thomas Antwi-Boasiako, who is reportedly on the run, have all pleaded not guilty to the charges since the case was first called on May 18, 2026.
The case relates to an alleged loan or financial facility obtained from EXIM Bank in 2018.
On June 18, 2026, the court, presided over by Justice Halimah El-Alawa Abdul-Baasit, adjourned proceedings to allow the initial plea negotiations to take place.
