Maurice Ampaw, the Private legal practitioner, has opened up about the ongoing court case involving the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Bernard Antwi Boasiako, commonly known as Chairman Wontumi.
According to Wontumi, Chairman Wontumi should have contested the charges in court to allow a judge determine the issue.
He further argued that the Ashanti Regional Chairman should not be distracted by reactions on social media.
Speaking during a discussion on Movement TV, Maurice Ampaw stated, “He didn’t go and rob anyone; they can go to hell. If I were Chairman Wontumi, I would contest the charges in court and allow the judge to determine the matter within the legal process. Chairman should relax because, in the end, his critics may be disappointed”.
“If Chairman Wontumi is jailed, would that bring food to your table? Would it change your destiny? What benefit would it bring to the country?
“If the state believes there are funds to recover, then attention should also be placed on ensuring repayment. Otherwise, many people who owe the state would equally have to face legal consequences,” he added.
“If the NPP returns to power, everyone found to owe the state should also face the law, including Ibrahim Mahama. Criminal offences do not expire,” he added.
Meanwhile, Bernard Antwi Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, has shed light on the circumstances surrounding the Exim Bank case.
According to Wontumi, in 2018, he went for a loan to invest in a commercial farm he planned to establish in Sekyere.
Wontumi disclosed that he went through the proper process to secure a loan, adding that he did not misappropriate the loan.
Chairman Wontumi explained that his commercial maize farm was later destroyed by heavy rains, a natural disaster beyond his control.
Speaking in an interview with Asaasepa Radio, Chairman Wontumi disclosed, “On the back of the plea bargain, I want to clarify that in 2018 I went to the bank to secure funds in order to invest in a commercial farm I planned to establish in Sekyere. We applied as a company, provided the required collateral, and received a term sheet from the bank. They even directed us to an insurance company to cover the farm”.
“Unfortunately, heavy rains later destroyed the maize farm, a natural disaster beyond my control,” he claimed.
“That same year, we became first runner-up in the Farmers’ Day celebration, which shows that the farm was not a small venture but a significant operation”.
“Who can simply walk into a bank and obtain a loan without going through the proper procedures? I followed the required process, step by step. This is the narrative I want to present regarding the Exim Bank case”, he explained.
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.
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