Martin Kpebu, a Private legal practitioner, has broken his silence on the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), widely known as Chairman Wontumi, plea bargain application in the Exim Bank fraud case.
It will be recalled that Chairman Wontumi was slapped with fresh charges over a GH¢14.3M Exim Bank loan case.
He was slapped with fresh charges, including fraud by false pretence.
Wontumi, Thomas Antwi-Boasiako (at large) and Wontumi Farms Limited are facing four counts of charges per the charge sheet filed on Friday, May 15, 2026.
The charge sheet filed on Friday, May 15, 2026, signed by Deputy Attorney General Dr Justice Srem-Sai, detailed that “Chairman Wontumi is personally facing three of the four counts of the charge of defrauding by false pretence, contrary to Section 131 of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29); uttering of a forged document, contrary to Section 169 of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29); and money laundering, contrary to Section 1(2)(c) of the Anti-Money Laundering Act, 2020 (Act 1044)”.
“Together with Thomas Antwi-Boasiako and Wontumi Farms Limited, they are facing the charge of intentionally causing financial loss to a public body, contrary to Section 179A(2) of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29)”, Starr FM stated.
Subsequently, the Attorney General, told the court some days ago that New Patriotic Party (NPP) Ashanti Regional Chairman, Bernard Antwi-Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, is seeking a plea bargain in the GH¢30 million EXIM Bank financial loss case.
According to reports, the Deputy Attorney General, Dr Justice Srem Sai, informed the court today, June 11, 2026, that Wontumi, through his lawyer on 5th June 2026, requested to initiate a plea negotiation in respect of the charges in the Exim Bank case.
Martin Kpebu highlighted that Ghana must prioritize recovering misappropriated state funds over imprisoning individuals in corruption-related offences.
He argued that restitution offers greater benefits to the country than jailing individuals involved in corruption-related offences.
Speaking on The Key Point on Saturday, June 13, 2026, Kpebu detailed, “What shall it profit a man to throw somebody in jail and then he doesn’t give us one farthing, so that he keeps all their money?”
“Looking at our state of development, the way hospitals need beds, I still can’t believe the Afariwa Hospital has not been opened. I would take their money any day and possibly with some interest so that we can get beds and other equipment to open Afariwa Hospital, and it will save more lives than just throwing one person in custody or in jail.”
Lawyer Kpebu, however, acknowledged concerns that allowing offenders to refund stolen funds could weaken deterrence against corruption.
He argued that public stigma and reputational damage constitute a significant form of punishment.
Kpebu added, “After that, I can come and sit on TV3 and then when any matter concerning me comes up, I’ll say, ‘Wontumi, who held our money illegally for some years and finally had to be coerced to pay?
“The point I’m making is that we’ll continue to name and shame him, stigmatising him for the rest of his life, and it will even affect his family. So that is punishment enough,” he said.
“For such a case, returning the money, the stigma the person will suffer — for me, the value is the same,” he stated.
“You know what that money would have done? So, I’m telling you that when you take the money back, it doesn’t mean the person is innocent. We will make the point that you illegally took government money, and years later, it was a change in government that enabled us to collect it from you,” he said.
“Plea bargaining is used everywhere,” he said. “For me, knowing the weakness of the Ghanaian system, half a loaf is always better than none.”
Watch the video below:
We should recover our money back and continue to name, shame and stigmatise Chairman Wontumi for the rest of his life. That is punishment enough for him. – Martin Kpebu, Private legal practitioner pic.twitter.com/jFkpRdzE1g
— With All Due Respect (@cdzas) June 14, 2026
