Bernard Antwi-Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, has pleaded not guilty to five criminal charges in connection with an alleged fraudulent GH¢30 million loan obtained from the Ghana Export-Import Bank (EXIM Bank).

The former Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) appeared in court alongside two other accused persons following the filing of a new charge sheet on September 22, 2026, relating to the loan facility obtained in 2018.

The five charges comprise defrauding by false pretences, two counts of uttering forged documents, money laundering and intentionally causing financial loss of GH¢30 million to a public body. Wontumi denied all the charges as the prosecution prepared to advance its case.

According to the prosecution, the accused persons allegedly used forged and altered documents in January 2018 to secure funding from EXIM Bank for a proposed farming project. The state contends that the documents were presented to persuade the bank to approve the facility for agricultural activities that were expected to be undertaken through Wontumi Farms Limited.

However, prosecutors allege that the proposed farming activities were never carried out. They further contend that the accused persons failed to purchase the agricultural plant and machinery required for the project or employ workers to operate the farm.

The prosecution also alleges that the land presented to the bank as being available for the farming project was neither owned nor secured by the accused persons. These claims form part of the state’s case that the loan was obtained through false representations and that the intended agricultural venture did not materialise as presented to the financial institution.

In another allegation, the prosecution claims that Wontumi withdrew substantial amounts from the bank accounts of Wontumi Farms Limited, which is listed as the third accused, and used the money for personal purposes, including investments in other businesses.

The allegations have yet to be established in court, and the accused persons’ pleas of not guilty mean the prosecution must prove the charges through the judicial process.

Following the proceedings, the court adjourned the case to Tuesday, October 27, 2026, at 11 a.m. for a case management conference. The prosecution has been directed to file the relevant disclosures within 14 days, a step intended to facilitate the preparation of the case ahead of subsequent proceedings.

The EXIM Bank case adds to Wontumi’s ongoing legal difficulties. He was returned to Nsawam Maximum Security Prison after the latest court appearance, where he is serving a 20-year prison sentence imposed by a differently constituted High Court in Accra in a separate case involving illegal mining-related offences at Samreboi in the Western North Region.