The Office of the Attorney General and Ministry of Justice has filed fresh criminal charges against Bernard Antwi-Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, in connection with an alleged fraud involving more than GHS 30 million at the Ghana Export-Import Bank.
The latest prosecution, filed before the Criminal Division of the High Court in Accra under docket number CR/0259/2026, marks the third suit initiated by the Attorney General’s Department against the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the opposition New Patriotic Party, who is currently seeking to become the party’s National Chairman.
Court documents signed by Deputy Attorney General and Minister of Justice Justice Srem-Sai named Bernard Antwi Boasiako as the first accused person, Thomas Antwi Boasiako as the second accused person, who is currently at large, and Wontumi Farms Limited as the third accused entity.
Four Criminal Charges Filed
According to the charge sheet, the accused persons are facing four separate criminal counts including defrauding by false pretence, uttering a forged document, money laundering, and intentionally causing financial loss to a public institution.
On the first count, prosecutors alleged that Bernard Antwi Boasiako and Thomas Antwi Boasiako, in 2018, obtained GHS 14,302,000 from Ghana Export Import Bank by false pretences.
The second count accused Bernard Antwi Boasiako of using what prosecutors described as a forged receipt to secure an additional GHS 4 million from the bank. Prosecutors said the document was knowingly presented as genuine with the intent to defraud officials of the bank.
The third charge relates to money laundering. Prosecutors alleged that between 2018 and 2022, Bernard Antwi Boasiako took possession of part of the GHS 14,302,000 obtained through Wontumi Farms Limited, knowing the funds had been acquired through fraudulent means.
On the fourth count, the prosecution accused Bernard Antwi Boasiako, Thomas Antwi Boasiako, and Wontumi Farms Limited of intentionally causing Ghana Export Import Bank to lose over GHS 30 million in the course of the business transaction.
How The Facility Was Secured
The brief facts filed before the court stated that Bernard Antwi Boasiako, a 50 year old entrepreneur from Kuntanase in the Ashanti Region, is the sole shareholder and one of two directors of Wontumi Farms Limited. Thomas Antwi Boasiako is listed as the second director.
Investigators said Wontumi Farms Limited was incorporated on December 14, 2017, with business objects centered on farming, agriculture, and processing. According to prosecutors, in January 2018, Bernard Antwi Boasiako approached the Ghana Export-Import Bank seeking a GHS 19 million facility to finance a farming venture.
In the application, prosecutors said he represented that the company had secured 100,000 acres of land for the proposed project. The application was accompanied by what was described as a board resolution letter dated January 23, 2018, signed by Thomas Antwi Boasiako as board chairman.
However, investigators said the resolution claimed to have been passed on December 9, 2017, four days before the company was legally incorporated.
The application was also supported by a project proposal which claimed that 2,500 hectares of the farm project would employ about 6,000 families representing approximately 38,000 individuals.
Following the application, Ghana Export Import Bank approved an GHS 18,734,260 facility comprising a mix of loans and grants intended for agricultural machinery, working capital, staff costs, labour expenses, and consultancy fees.
Court documents stated that by March 2018, the bank had disbursed a total of GHS 14,302,000 to Wontumi Farms Limited.
Investigations Reveal Alleged Misrepresentation
According to investigators, subsequent inquiries established that the proposed farming project was never undertaken.
The prosecution stated that the accused persons did not purchase agricultural machinery, did not employ workers for the project, and did not own or secure the land they claimed had been obtained for the farming venture.
Investigators further alleged that in March 2018, Bernard Antwi Boasiako submitted a document marked “Receipt” to the bank as proof that the company had purchased agricultural machinery worth GHS 4 million.
However, investigators said the document was not an authentic receipt. According to the prosecution, the document was originally issued by KAS SAMA Enterprise as a pro-forma invoice during preliminary price inquiries.
Investigators alleged that the original inscription “Pro-forma Invoice” had been altered and replaced with “Receipt” before it was presented to the bank.
“The Bank relied on the document to advance more funds to A3 for the farm project. The document was not a genuine purchase receipt at all,” the Attorney General’s brief facts stated.
EOCO Investigation And Arrest
The Attorney General’s office further alleged that investigations established Bernard Antwi Boasiako withdrew substantial amounts from Wontumi Farms Limited accounts and used portions of the funds for personal expenses and investments in other business ventures.
Prosecutors said all attempts by the Ghana Export-Import Bank to recover the funds were unsuccessful. As a result, officials from the Economic and Organised Crime Office began investigations into the matter in March 2025.
Court documents said Bernard Antwi Boasiako was subsequently arrested, cautioned, and formally charged on May 14, 2026, leading to his arraignment before the High Court.
The latest prosecution adds to the growing legal challenges facing the NPP Ashanti Regional Chairman at a time he is actively pursuing the party’s top national executive position.
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