Deputy Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Dr Justice Srem-Sai, has revealed that no plea agreement has been reached in the criminal case involving New Patriotic Party (NPP) Ashanti Regional Chairman Bernard Antwi-Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, and two others.
In a Facebook post on Saturday, July 18, 2026, Dr Srem-Sai said the 30-day period allowed for plea bargain discussions in the case will expire next week.
“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,” he wrote.
He did not disclose further details about the negotiations or what steps would follow if the parties fail to reach an agreement before the deadline.
Wontumi and two others are facing charges linked to an alleged scheme that caused financial loss to the Ghana Export-Import (EXIM) Bank.
Court documents and reports indicate that the accused persons are alleged to have caused losses ranging from about GH¢14.3 million to GH¢30 million through offences including fraud, money laundering, presenting a forged receipt and causing financial loss to a public institution.
Wontumi’s legal team, led by lawyer Andy Appiah-Kubi, started the plea bargaining process by writing to the Attorney General’s Office.
The request was later presented to the court in June 2026, with both sides asking for time to explore a possible settlement under Ghana’s plea bargaining laws.
The process could involve a guilty plea in exchange for reduced charges, repayment of funds with interest, or other agreed terms.
Meanwhile, Wontumi, Wontumi Farms Limited and Thomas Antwi-Boasiako, who is reportedly on the run, have all pleaded not guilty to the charges.
The case relates to events in 2018 involving a loan facility from EXIM Bank.
On June 18, 2026, the court, presided over by Justice Halimah El-Alawa Abdul-Baasit, adjourned proceedings to allow the parties to continue discussions on a possible plea agreement.
