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.

A formal charge sheet filed by the Prosecution Division of the Office of the Attorney-General on 15 May 2026 at the High Court in Accra alleges a web of deception involving altered financial receipts, non-existent farming operations, and a massive financial hit to Ghana EXIM Bank.

Chairman Wontumi, 50, alongside Thomas Antwi-Boasiako, who is currently at large, and their corporate entity, Wontumi Farms Limited, are facing four criminal counts.

These are defrauding by false pretence, uttering a forged document, money laundering, and intentionally causing financial loss to a public body.

According to the state’s brief facts signed by the Deputy Attorney-General, Dr Justice Srem-Sai, the allegations trace back to January 2018.

Chairman Wontumi, acting as the Managing Director of Wontumi Farms Limited, allegedly approached the Ghana Export-Import (EXIM) Bank to request a ₵19 million credit and grant facility. The stated purpose of the funds was to establish an ambitious commercial cultivation venture.

To win over bank executives, the high-profile businessman allegedly made several grand representations.

He declared in his application letter that Wontumi Farms had successfully acquired a massive 100,000-acre parcel of land for the project. Furthermore, accompanying project proposals claimed that developing just 2,500 hectares (roughly 6,000 acres) of the site would create employment for 6,000 families, directly supporting an estimated 38,000 individuals.

However, state investigators allegedly uncovered significant irregularities dating back to the inception of the loan process.

The bank application was supported by a ‘Board Resolution Letter’ signed by Thomas Antwi-Boasiako, the Board Chairman.

The document stated that the application had been authorised during a board meeting on 9th December 2017, four clear days before Wontumi Farms Limited was legally incorporated and authorised to commence business on 14 December 2017.

Unaware of the chronological inconsistencies, the Ghana EXIM Bank allegedly extended a credit facility offer of GH₵18,734,260.00 to the company on 16 January 2018 to cover agricultural machinery, working capital, and staff consultancy fees.

Chairman Wontumi signed the acceptance agreement in Kumasi on 23rd January, 2018, and disbursements commenced shortly after, totalling GH₵14,302,000.00 by March 2018.

The second count on the charge sheet- uttering a forged document- centres around how the accused persons justified the spending of these state funds.

In March 2018,  Chairman Wontumi allegedly presented a document bearing the title ‘Receipt’ to the EXIM Bank to prove he had purchased GH₵4 million worth of specialised agricultural machinery. Relying entirely on this proof of purchase, the bank allegedly released subsequent tranches of funding.

State intelligence claims that the document was a fabrication. Investigations allegedly revealed the paper was originally a simple pro-forma price invoice issued by an enterprise known as KAS-SAMA Enterprise when Chairman Wontumi made casual pricing inquiries.

The business owner is said to have told detectives that the politician promised to return later to make the actual purchase, but was never seen or heard from again. Instead, the inscription ‘Pro-forma Invoice’ on the document was deliberately erased, altered, and replaced with ‘Receipt’ before being submitted to the bank.

The state further alleges that the grand agricultural vision was entirely a front. Intelligence operations conducted by the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) established that the accused persons did not clear a single acre of land, bought no machinery, and employed no farm labourers.

Instead, the prosecution alleges that Chairman Wontumi systematically withdrew the state funds from the corporate accounts of Wontumi Farms Limited, moving them into personal accounts to fund other luxury business enterprises. This forms the basis of Count Three, which charges him with laundering the proceeds of fraud between 2018 and 2022.

The state’s final charge relates to the overall financial devastation brought upon the public institution.

Count Four highlights that because of the total failure to execute the business transaction or service the debt, the Ghana EXIM Bank has been left with an institutional loss exceeding GH₵30,000,000.00 in principal and accumulated liabilities.

When extensive efforts allegedly by EXIM Bank officials to recover the outstanding funds were completely stonewalled by the accused, EOCO formally stepped in during March 2025.

Chairman Wontumi was subsequently arrested, cautioned, and officially hit with the charges on 14th May, 2026, leading to his arraignment.  

According to prosecutors, the second accused director, Thomas Antwi-Boasiako, is still at large.

Chairman Wontumi is presently lacing his boots to contest for the National Chairman position of the opposition NPP.

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The Swedru Circuit Court in the Eastern Region has sentenced two persons involved in a violent machete fight at Akyem Oda to 12 months imprisonment each with hard labour, while a third accused person was fined GH¢6,000.

The convicts, identified as Evans Adayele and Joseph Nyabaah, were arrested following a disturbing street clash that gained widespread attention on social media after videos of the incident surfaced online on May 6, 2026. The footage showed a group of men brandishing machetes and engaging in a violent confrontation in public, sparking fear and condemnation among residents and social media users.

According to reports, the court found Evans Adayele and Joseph Nyabaah guilty and subsequently handed them one-year custodial sentences each with hard labour. The third accused person, George Okyere, was fined 500 penalty units, equivalent to GH¢6,000. In addition to the fine, he was ordered to sign a three-year bond of good behaviour.

The sentencing has been welcomed by many members of the public who believe the punishment sends a strong warning against acts of violence and lawlessness in communities. Authorities have also reiterated their commitment to dealing decisively with individuals who engage in violent conduct that threatens public safety and peace.

A Canadian court has sentenced Emmanuel Yeboah, a 38-year-old self-styled Ghanaian pastor based in Barrie, to 18 months in prison following his conviction in a case involving a 13-year-old girl connected to his congregation.

The sentencing, delivered by Justice Robert Gattrell, has drawn attention within both the Ghanaian and wider immigrant communities in Canada, where the case has sparked discussions about religious authority, accountability, and the responsibility of community leaders entrusted with the care of young people.

Yeboah was convicted of sexual assault, sexual interference, and assault after a trial centred on an incident that occurred three years ago.

Court proceedings heard that Yeboah was regarded not only as a pastor by members of his congregation but also as a trusted family friend of the victim’s relatives. According to evidence presented in court, he had offered to take the teenager to a piano lesson, an outing prosecutors argued later became an abuse of trust.

While the court avoided disclosing graphic details, testimony indicated that inappropriate conduct occurred while the pair were alone together. The victim later returned home, distressed by the experience.

During sentencing, Justice Gattrell noted that some of Yeboah’s actions reflected behaviour commonly associated with grooming, including attempts to build trust through gifts and friendly gestures.

The emotional impact on the teenager became more evident days later when she unexpectedly encountered Yeboah again at her family home. The court heard that she became frightened and sought refuge at a neighbour’s residence.

The case later resulted in an additional assault conviction linked to efforts to return her home.

Throughout the proceedings, Yeboah maintained his innocence. Even after the guilty verdict, the court heard that he continued to receive support from some members of his congregation and community.

During sentencing submissions, Crown prosecutors sought a four-year prison term, arguing that the offences involved a serious breach of trust and emotional harm to a vulnerable young person.

However, the defence requested a reduced sentence of one year, citing Yeboah’s lack of a prior criminal record, his role as the sole provider for his family, and the continued support he received within his community.

Justice Gattrell ultimately imposed an 18-month custodial sentence, taking into account several mitigating factors raised by the defence.

Among the considerations were the impact the sentence would have on Yeboah’s wife and children, as well as the immigration consequences he may now face as a permanent resident of Canada.

Under Canadian immigration law, non-citizens who receive custodial sentences exceeding six months may face removal proceedings. Although criminal courts do not directly determine deportation matters, the judge acknowledged that Yeboah could face deportation after serving his sentence.

Upon his release, Yeboah will also be subject to strict court-imposed conditions restricting contact with persons under the age of 18 unless another responsible adult is present.

The proceedings also raised questions about Yeboah’s pastoral background and qualifications.

Although he was widely described during the trial as a pastor, little information was presented about any formal religious training, official ordination, or the registration of a church organisation associated with him.

A LinkedIn profile linked to a Barrie resident with the same name identified him primarily as a courier driver and did not reference pastoral work. Court records also indicated that Yeboah supported his family through work as an Uber driver and other gig economy jobs.

The case has generated extensive discussion within sections of the Ghanaian-Canadian community, particularly regarding the level of trust placed in religious figures and the need for stronger accountability within faith-based settings.

Community advocates say the case serves as a reminder that positions of spiritual leadership should never place individuals beyond scrutiny or responsibility.

Child protection experts have long warned that abuse involving trusted authority figures can be especially traumatic because victims often fear they will not be believed or worry about dividing families and communities.

Following the sentencing, Yeboah was taken into custody while his wife, who had accompanied him to court, quietly left the courtroom alone, underscoring the wider emotional consequences the case has had on multiple families.

Although the legal proceedings have concluded, the broader impact of the case is expected to continue resonating within the community for years.

For many parents, faith leaders, and child advocates, the case has become a sobering reminder that trust must be matched with accountability, transparency, and safeguards designed to protect vulnerable young people.

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