Plea bargain negotiations between New Patriotic Party (NPP) Ashanti Regional Chairman Bernard Antwi-Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, and the State have collapsed, clearing the way for his criminal trial to proceed.
The Accra High Court has subsequently given the prosecution 14 days to file its disclosures in the case.
The negotiations, which lasted for about a month, reportedly broke down after the State rejected a proposal put forward by Wontumi’s legal team.
Deputy Attorney-General Justice Srem-Sai had earlier confirmed that prosecutors were not satisfied with the terms presented by the defence.
“They made a plea proposal of what they want to offer. In our opinion, we are not satisfied, and so we intend to reject it,” he said.
The State had disclosed that the defence proposal included a payment intended to resolve portions of the case. Prosecutors, however, deemed the offer insufficient to address their concerns.
Following the failure of the negotiations, the court directed the prosecution to proceed with the disclosure process within 14 days.
The disclosures will require the State to furnish the defence with the evidence and documents it intends to rely on at trial, allowing Wontumi and his lawyers to review the prosecution’s case and prepare their defence.
Charges against Wontumi
Wontumi and his co-accused, Thomas Antwi-Boasiako, have pleaded not guilty to four charges, including defrauding by false pretence, forgery, money laundering and intentionally causing financial loss to a public institution.
The prosecution alleges that between 2018 and 2022, the accused persons obtained about GH¢14.3 million from the Ghana Export-Import Bank (EXIM Bank) through Wontumi Farms Limited for a farming project which the State claims was not carried out.
The State further alleges that Wontumi used a forged receipt in an application for an additional GH¢4 million credit facility.
Both accused persons have denied the allegations and pleaded not guilty to the charges.
With the plea bargain talks now unsuccessful, the prosecution is expected to file its disclosures within the court-ordered 14-day period, bringing the case closer to trial.
