Aspirant for the position of National Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Bernard Antwi-Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, has insisted that ongoing or past court cases should not disqualify individuals from contesting political office. …
Governance expert Kwaku Antwi-Boasiako has issued a stark warning that Ghana’s democracy faces a growing threat not from coups or violent uprisings, but from increasing citizen apathy fuelled by economic hardship, unemployment, corruption, and unmet expectations. …
The High Court has set July 3, to deliver judgment in the high-profile illegal mining case involving Ashanti Regional NPP Chairman, Bernard Antwi-Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, and two others. …
Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party, Bernard Antwi-Boasiako, has questioned the basis of his prosecution in an alleged illegal mining case, arguing that individuals who claimed ownership of seized items have instead been turned into prosecution witnesses. …
… Testifying as the second defence witness for the NPP Ashanti Regional Chairman, Bernard Antwi-Boasiako, in the Samreboi illegal mining case, Duker clarified that Section 14 of Act 703 is expressly concerned with the transfer, assignment, mortgage, or any other dealings in mineral …
The Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party, Bernard Antwi-Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, has pleaded not guilty to four counts of defrauding by false pretence, forgery, money laundering, and intentionally causing financial loss of over GH¢30 million …
The Office of the Attorney General has charged Bernard Antwi-Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, and two others over the alleged fraudulent acquisition of funds from the Ghana Export-Import Bank for a farming project. …
The state has initiated major criminal proceedings against the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Bernard Antwi-Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, over an alleged multi-million-cedi agricultural loan fraud. …
The High Court in Accra has dismissed lawyer Andy Appiah-Kubi's application to withdraw from the criminal case involving Akonta Mining Company Limited, Kwame Antwi, and Chairman Wontumi, after the Attorney-General objected that no legal requirement exists for counsel to seek court permission before withdrawing. The case has been adjourned to July 3, 2026, for judgment, with a new deadline of June 24, 2026, for closing addresses.
Why it matters
High Court dismissal of lawyer Andy Appiah-Kubi's withdrawal bid in the Akonta Mining criminal case moves the complex prosecution forward toward judgment on July 3, 2026.
The High Court in Accra has dismissed lawyer Andy Appiah-Kubi's application to withdraw from the criminal case involving Akonta Mining Company Limited, Kwame Antwi, and Chairman Wontumi, after the Attorney-General objected that no legal requirement exists for counsel to seek court permission before withdrawing. The case has been adjourned to July 3, 2026, for judgment, with a new deadline of June 24, 2026, for closing addresses.
Bernard Bediako Baidoo, Akwatia MP, has called for broader scrutiny in the ongoing legal case, arguing that other persons connected to the transaction must also answer questions about their roles, including bank officials responsible for due diligence on the approved facility.
The Member of Parliament for Akwatia has called for clarity and accountability in ongoing plea negotiations involving the Ashanti Regional NPP Chairman, who is standing trial over an alleged GH¢14.3 million loan fraud linked to the Ghana Export-Import Bank. The MP stressed that while plea bargaining is legitimate, any settlement must not obscure accountability.
Manhyia South MP Nana Agyei Baffour Awuah has clarified that plea negotiations initiated by Ashanti Regional NPP Chairman Bernard Antwi-Boasiako (Chairman Wontumi) in an alleged GH¢14.3 million Exim Bank loan fraud case should not be viewed as an admission of guilt, describing it as a legal strategy available to both prosecution and defence teams.
Political analyst Dr. Arthur Kennedy declared that the NPP does not deserve to govern Ghana again, describing the party as unrepentant and warning that its return to power could undermine public confidence in the country's justice system. He expressed concern that changes in political power can influence the trajectory of high-profile criminal prosecutions.
Political analyst Dr. Arthur Kennedy argues that any plea bargain involving Ashanti Regional NPP Chairman Bernard Antwi-Boasiako (Chairman Wontumi) must include custodial sentences or criminal fines rather than allow an accused person to walk away without consequences. Kennedy defends the Attorney-General's engagement in plea negotiations but insists accountability and punishment must remain central to the criminal justice process, regardless of a person's social or political standing.
Joy Prime's Saturday current affairs programme will feature panel discussions on Chairman Wontumi's plea bargain negotiations and his lawyer's withdrawal from court, the extradition and imprisonment of former MASLOC CEO Sedina Tamakloe Attionu, and President Mahama's latest approval ratings from the Institute of Economic Affairs.
The Attorney-General has filed a preliminary legal objection at the High Court to block defence lawyer Andy Appiah-Kubi's application to withdraw from the criminal case involving Ashanti Regional NPP Chairman Bernard Antwi-Boasiako and others. The State's objection raises grounds of jurisdiction, capacity, and standing, arguing the withdrawal application raises fundamental legal questions requiring judicial determination.
Andy Appiah-Kubi, the lead lawyer for NPP Ashanti chairman Bernard Antwi-Boasiako (Chairman Wontumi), has walked away from defending him in an illegal mining case for the second time in over a year, citing "unseen influences" compromising the trial's integrity. The departure comes as judgment is due July 3 and as Wontumi separately seeks plea negotiations in a fraud case involving the Ghana Export-Import Bank.
Andy Appiah-Kubi, counsel for Ashanti Regional NPP Chairman Bernard Antwi-Boasiako, has advocated live broadcasting of high-profile criminal trials to enhance transparency and public confidence in the justice system. He argued that greater public scrutiny of court proceedings would help address concerns about fairness and accountability.
Andy Appiah-Kubi, counsel for NPP Ashanti Regional Chairman Bernard Antwi-Boasiako (Chairman Wontumi), has withdrawn from one of the high-profile criminal cases involving his client pending before the High Court in Accra. The lawyer cited various concerns surrounding the judicial proceedings, including questions about fairness and the court's insistence on his personal appearance despite prior notification of scheduling conflicts.
Bernard Antwi-Boasiako, Ashanti regional chairman of the opposition NPP and a businessman known as Chairman Wontumi, has asked prosecutors to negotiate a plea bargain in a multi-million-cedi bank fraud case related to Ghana Export-Import Bank. He is simultaneously fighting two other cases concerning alleged illegal mining and running for the NPP's national chairmanship.
Legal practitioner Martin Kpebu has clarified that plea bargaining in Ghana's legal framework does not automatically mean admission of guilt, noting that negotiations between an accused person and the state can result in charge withdrawal, reduced sentences, or other outcomes beyond conviction.
Private legal practitioner Martin Kpebu has endorsed a proposed plea bargain arrangement in the Exim Bank fraud case involving NPP Ashanti Regional Chairman Bernard Antwi-Boasiako, arguing that recovering public funds should take priority over the accused's profile or case magnitude. Kpebu stated that plea bargaining is a legitimate legal mechanism that should be considered on its merits rather than emotions or political considerations.
Bernard Antwi-Boasiako (Chairman Wontumi), Ashanti Regional Chairman of the NPP, has formally requested plea negotiations with the Attorney-General in his trial over an alleged GH¢14.3 million loan fraud involving the Ghana Export-Import Bank. Wontumi and co-accused face charges of defrauding by false pretence, forging documents, money laundering, and causing financial loss to a public institution.
NPP chairmanship aspirant Bernard Antwi-Boasiako (Chairman Wontumi) has stated that his priority is helping the party regain power following the 2024 electoral loss, not personal academic qualifications or English language proficiency. He emphasised that leadership should be judged on electoral success and organisational strength rather than linguistic ability.
Bernard Antwi-Boasiako (Wontumi), an aspirant for NPP National Chairman, says challenges in his political career have strengthened him to lead the party back to electoral victory. He stressed that the party should focus on regaining power rather than academic qualifications or language proficiency.
Bernard Antwi-Boasiako, an aspirant for the NPP national chairmanship, dismissed questions about his commitment to the party, citing his long service and tours across all 16 regions as evidence of his loyalty and readiness to lead.
NPP national chairman aspirant Bernard Antwi-Boasiako (Chairman Wontumi) argued that ongoing or past court cases should not bar individuals from contesting political office, stating that legal challenges are normal in public life and that he presents himself to court when required.
Kwaku Antwi-Boasiako argued that Ghana's democracy faces threat from increasing citizen apathy fuelled by economic hardship, unemployment, and unmet expectations, rather than coups. He contended that democracy decays when citizens no longer believe it improves their lives and should be measured by tangible outcomes like jobs and healthcare, not just elections and institutions.
An opinion piece argues that annual deadly flooding in Accra results from poor leadership rather than citizens alone, citing past disasters in 2015 and 2026 and criticizing both President Mahama and President Akufo-Addo for inaction during their respective tenures.
The High Court has fixed July 3 to deliver judgment in the illegal mining case involving Ashanti Regional NPP Chairman Bernard Antwi-Boasiako and two others, following the closure of the defence case on June 3 after its fifth and final witness.
Ashanti Regional NPP Chairman Bernard Antwi-Boasiako testified before the High Court that individuals who claimed ownership of seized items have been turned into prosecution witnesses against him, while denying involvement in illegal mining activities on a concession where he serves as director.
The former Deputy Minister for Lands and Natural Resources testified in the High Court that land reclamation on mining concessions constitutes mine support services, which are legally distinct from the assignment or transfer of mineral rights and do not require the same level of ministerial approval under Ghana's Minerals and Mining Act. This testimony formed part of the defence case for NPP Ashanti Regional Chairman Bernard Antwi-Boasiako in the Samreboi illegal mining case.
Bernard Antwi-Boasiako, the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the NPP, has been charged with defrauding the Ghana Export-Import Bank of GH¢14.3 million in 2018 through false pretences related to a proposed large-scale farming project, which investigators say never materialised. He faces charges including defrauding by false pretence, uttering a forged document, money laundering, and intentionally causing financial loss to a public institution, alongside his brother Thomas and his company Wontumi Farms Limited.
Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party Bernard Antwi-Boasiako (Chairman Wontumi) has pleaded not guilty to four counts including defrauding by false pretence, forgery, money laundering, and intentionally causing financial loss of over GH¢30 million to Ghana Export-Import Bank. He has been admitted to bail.
The Attorney General has charged Bernard Antwi-Boasiako (Chairman Wontumi), Thomas Antwi-Boasiako, and Wontumi Farms Limited over the alleged fraudulent acquisition of GH¢18.7 million from the Ghana Export-Import Bank for a farming project, with court documents alleging false documentation in the loan application.
The Ashanti Regional Chairman of the NPP, Bernard Antwi-Boasiako (Chairman Wontumi), has been formally charged with defrauding Ghana EXIM Bank of ₵19 million through an alleged agricultural loan scheme involving altered financial receipts and non-existent farming operations. He faces four criminal counts including fraud by false pretence, uttering a forged document, money laundering, and intentionally causing financial loss to a public body.