Wontumi’s GH¢30m EXIM Bank case heads to trial as plea bargain talks collapse

The Accra High Court has ruled that the prosecution must submit its evidence and disclosures within 14 days following the collapse of plea bargain talks between Wontumi and the State. These negotiations, which had been ongoing for nearly a month, came to an end without an agreement when prosecutors rejected a proposal presented by the defence.

The rejected proposal suggested a payment to resolve certain aspects of the case, but the prosecution deemed it insufficient. Initially, the State had disclosed that Wontumi’s team had proposed a payment to settle parts of the case, but prosecutors found the offer inadequate. With the plea bargain talks unsuccessful, the court has ordered the prosecution to begin the disclosure process, which involves providing the defence with the evidence and documents it intends to use during the trial.

This allows the accused and their lawyers to review the State's case and prepare their defense. Wontumi and co-accused Thomas Antwi-Boasiako have pleaded not guilty to four charges, including fraud by false pretense, forgery, money laundering, and intentionally causing financial loss to a public institution. The charges stem from allegations that Wontumi obtained approximately GH¢14.3 million from the Ghana Export-Import Bank (EXIM Bank) from 2018 to 2022 for a farming project that allegedly was never carried out.

Additionally, prosecutors claim that Wontumi submitted a forged receipt to support an application for an extra GH¢4 million credit facility. The accused deny all charges, and the prosecution is set to file its disclosures within the 14-day window mandated by the court, after which the case will advance towards trial.