The Office of the Attorney General (AG) has filed fresh charges at the High Court against convicted Ashanti Regionla Chairman of the New Patriotic Party, Bernard Antwi Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, increasing the charges from four to five in the Exim Bank case.
With the latest charge sheet filed on Tuesday, September 22, 2026, the previous one, which preferred four charges in relation to the GH¢30 million loan facility, will be withdrawn.
In the amended charge sheet, Wontumi, who is currently serving a 20-year custodial sentence, is expected to plead to defrauding by false pretence, two counts of uttering a forged document, money laundering, and intentionally causing financial loss to a public body, contrary to Section 179A(2) of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29).
On Tuesday, when the development was brought to the attention of the presiding judge, Justice Halimah El-Alawah Abdul-Baasit, the case was adjourned to October 13 to enable the Attorney General to withdraw the previous charge sheet and substitute it with the new one, after which Wontumi’s plea will be taken.
Wontumi is charged together with Thomas Antwi-Boasiako, who is currently on the run, and Wontumi Farms Limited.
Prior to the filing of the amended charge sheet, Chairman Wontumi, Thomas Antwi-Boasiako (at large) and Wontumi Farms Limited were facing four counts of charges per the charge sheet filed on May 15, 2026.
An attempt to plea bargain with the state broke down, with the trial set to proceed through the normal course before the latest development.
More soon….
