An Accra High Court has ordered the State to file its disclosures within 14 days in the alleged EXIM Bank fraud case involving former New Patriotic Party (NPP) Ashanti Regional Chairman, Bernard Antwi Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi.
The order was issued after plea-bargaining discussions between the prosecution and the defence failed to produce an agreement.
The prosecution informed the court that the parties had been unable to reach a settlement through the plea-bargaining process and requested directions to proceed with filing its disclosures.
The court noted that attempts to reach an agreement had failed on two occasions and that the 30-day period allocated for the plea-bargaining process had elapsed.
Following the breakdown in negotiations, the court directed the State to file and serve its disclosures on the accused persons within 14 days. The disclosures are expected to contain the evidence and documents the prosecution intends to rely on as the case progresses.
The court subsequently adjourned the matter to September 22, 2026, for a Case Management Conference.
The development means the substantive case will now move forward following the unsuccessful attempt by the parties to resolve the matter through plea bargaining.
Wontumi is facing charges connected to an alleged fraud involving financing obtained from the Ghana Export-Import Bank (EXIM Bank) for a farming project.
According to the prosecution, EXIM Bank approved a facility of approximately GH¢18.7 million for Wontumi Farms Limited, with more than GH¢14.3 million reportedly disbursed.
The State alleges that the funds were obtained for a large-scale farming project that was not undertaken as represented.
Prosecutors have also alleged that documents relating to the purchase of agricultural machinery were presented to support additional funding. One of the documents is alleged to have been altered and presented as evidence of the purchase of equipment valued at about GH¢4 million.
The prosecution further alleges that the overall facility eventually rose to approximately GH¢30 million.
Wontumi has been charged alongside Wontumi Farms Limited and Thomas Antwi-Boasiako, who is reportedly at large. The charges include allegations relating to defrauding by false pretence, forgery, money laundering and causing financial loss to a public institution.
The accused persons have denied the allegations.
The failed plea-bargaining process had temporarily shifted attention away from a full trial as both sides explored the possibility of reaching an agreement. However, with the negotiations unsuccessful, the court has now directed the prosecution to prepare its disclosures, allowing the case to proceed through the normal criminal trial process.
The disclosure stage is an important part of criminal proceedings because it gives the defence access to the evidence the prosecution intends to rely upon. It also allows the accused and their lawyers to prepare adequately for the case.
Wontumi’s legal team is led by lawyer Samuel Atta Akyea, who took over as lead counsel during the earlier stages of the plea-bargaining discussions.
The case is expected to return before the High Court on September 22 for the Case Management Conference, where further directions will be given regarding the proceedings.
The allegations against Wontumi remain matters before the court and have not been established as facts through a final judgment. He is therefore entitled to due process as the case proceeds.
The latest court order marks a new stage in the EXIM Bank case, with the prosecution now required to submit its disclosures within the 14-day period set by the court.
Source: Thepressradio.com
