The statutory 30-day period for concluding plea negotiations in the case involving New Patriotic Party (NPP) Ashanti Regional Chairman, Bernard Antwi-Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, and two others is expected to end next week, with an agreement yet to be struck.
Deputy Attorney General, Justice Srem-Sai, has confirmed that the prosecution and the accused persons have not reached a plea bargain deal in the matter.
In a post on Facebook, Justice Srem-Sai said, “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.”
The update comes after the High Court in Accra adjourned the case to July 27 to allow plea discussions between the prosecution and the defence to continue.
Chairman Wontumi and two others are facing charges related to an alleged GH¢14 million loan obtained from EXIM Bank for a farming project.
The prosecution alleges that between 2018 and 2022, Mr Antwi-Boasiako and Thomas Antwi-Boasiako fraudulently obtained about GH¢14.3 million from EXIM Bank through Wontumi Farms Limited under false pretences.
The accused persons are also alleged to have presented a forged receipt to support an application for an additional GH¢4 million facility.
The charges include obtaining money by false pretences, fraudulent breach of trust, and money laundering. The prosecution further alleges that the transactions caused financial loss exceeding GH¢30 million to EXIM Bank.
The accused persons have denied the allegations and opted to pursue plea negotiations, which are currently ongoing.
The court is expected to receive an update on the discussions when the case returns on July 27.
