The Attorney-General and Minister for Justice, Dr. Dominic Akuritinga Ayine, has formally announced that his office will prosecute Wontumi Farms Limited and its directors, including Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Bernard Antwi Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, over alleged financial crimes involving the Ghana Export-Import (EXIM) Bank.
Dr. Ayine made the announcement in Accra on Monday, December 22, 2025, at a Government Accountability Series briefing, saying investigations by the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) uncovered sufficient evidence to pursue criminal charges after months of inquiry.
Core allegations and the loan transaction at the centre of the case
According to the Attorney-General, the case centres on a loan facility valued at GH¢18.7 million that was approved in December 2017 under EXIM Bank’s Mining Alternative Livelihood Initiative.
The initiative was designed to support businesses that would help create alternative employment in mining-affected areas by developing agricultural projects.
Dr. Ayine said investigations established that Wontumi Farms was not legitimately registered at the time it applied for the loan, despite submitting a purported board resolution and registration details to the bank.
The company’s certificate to commence business was issued only on December 14, 2017, just before the loan was approved, raising questions about its legal capacity to access the facility when the application was submitted.
The Attorney-General further alleged that the company submitted forged documents to meet loan conditions. A document presented as proof of payment for heavy-duty farm and industrial equipment — including tractors and harvesters — was purportedly a receipt from Casama Enterprise, but EOCO’s probe confirmed it was originally a proforma invoice that had been altered, with the word “invoice” replaced with “receipt” to mislead the bank.
The owner of Casama Enterprise reportedly confirmed that no payment was made and no authentic receipt was issued.
Magnitude of the alleged loss and types of charges expected.
The Attorney-General said the total financial loss to the state currently stands at GH¢24,255,735, representing the principal loan and accrued interest, and noted that this figure could rise due to further compounding interest before formal charges are filed.
Dr. Ayine indicated that once the outstanding amount is confirmed by EXIM Bank after the Christmas break, his office will file charges in court. The offences anticipated in the indictment include defrauding by false pretences, forgery and causing financial loss to the state.
In response to the Attorney-General’s announcement, Chairman Wontumi’s lawyer, Andy Appiah Kubi, said his client will issue a full response only after formal charges have been filed in court. Mr Appiah Kubi stressed that Wontumi will defend the case vigorously once the prosecution papers are officially served.
EOCO’s investigation into Wontumi Farms forms part of a series of high-profile probes under the Attorney-General’s Operation Recover All Loots (ORAL) initiative, which targets alleged misuse of public funds and corruption across various sectors. Aside from the Wontumi Farms case, Dr. Ayine also updated the public on separate investigations involving other political figures.
