The Office of the Attorney-General has filed fresh criminal charges against Bernard Antwi-Boasiako, the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), over alleged financial improprieties involving the Ghana Export-Import Bank.
The charge sheet, dated May 15, 2026, lists Mr. Antwi-Boasiako—popularly known as Wontumi—as the first accused person.
He is being prosecuted alongside his brother, Thomas Antwi-Boasiako, who is currently at large, and Wontumi Farms Limited, a company in which the first accused is the sole shareholder and director.
According to court documents, the accused persons face four counts, including defrauding by false pretence, uttering a forged document, money laundering, and intentionally causing financial loss to a public institution.
The A-G alleges that in 2018, Mr. Antwi-Boasiako and his co-accused obtained GH¢14.3 million from the Ghana Export-Import Bank under false pretences.
The funds formed part of a larger facility of GH¢18.7 million approved to support a proposed large-scale farming project under Wontumi Farms Limited.
The prosecution contends that the accused misrepresented key facts in their application for the facility, including claims that they had secured 100,000 acres of land for the project and that the venture would employ thousands of people.
Investigations, however, reportedly revealed that no such land had been acquired and no farming activity was undertaken.
In a separate count, Mr. Antwi-Boasiako is accused of presenting a forged receipt to the bank to support a claim that he had purchased agricultural machinery worth GH¢4 million.
The document, investigators say, was originally a pro-forma invoice from a supplier, KAS-SAMA Enterprise, which had been altered to appear as a valid receipt.
The Attorney-General’s office further alleges that between 2018 and 2022, the accused persons diverted substantial portions of the disbursed funds for personal use and other business ventures, rather than the intended agricultural project.
Additionally, the accused are said to have caused a financial loss of over GH¢30 million to the Ghana Export-Import Bank through the failed transaction.
The brief facts indicate that the Economic and Organised Crime Office began investigations into the matter in March 2025 following unsuccessful attempts by the bank to recover the funds.
Mr. Antwi-Boasiako was subsequently arrested, cautioned, and formally charged on May 14, 2026.
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