The lawyer for Bernard Antwi Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, has questioned why officials of EXIM Bank Ghana were not named in a GH¢24 million loan fraud case announced by the Attorney-General.
Speaking in an interview on Tuesday, Lawyer Andy Appiah-Kubi, a former Member of Parliament and counsel for Chairman Wontumi, said responsibility for the transaction lay more with the bank than with his client’s company, Wontumi Farms.
Appiah-Kubi criticised Attorney-General Dominic Ayine for publicly naming Chairman Wontumi and referring to his political affiliation while omitting the identities of EXIM Bank officials who approved and disbursed the loan. He asked why those officials had not been mentioned if wrongdoing was alleged.
“I did not hear them mention the personal names of any of the people in EXIM who took part in this transaction,” he said. “Why announce the name of Chairman Wontumi and even the political party he belongs to?”
He argued that EXIM Bank officials should share responsibility, alleging that funds were released even after the bank had identified gaps in documentation, including the absence of proof of equipment purchases. “This could not have happened if people in the bank did not have an interest in what was going on,” he said.
On Monday, the Attorney-General announced at a Government Accountability Series press conference in Accra that Chairman Wontumi would be charged with defrauding by false pretences after Christmas. Ayine alleged that Wontumi Farms submitted a forged GH¢4 million receipt to secure a loan in 2017 and applied before the company was registered. He also disclosed that a GH¢15 million account linked to an insurance company associated with Wontumi had been frozen.
Appiah-Kubi disputed claims circulating online that the loan was denominated in dollars, insisting the amount involved was GH¢18.7 million. He said the transaction was between corporate entities, not individuals, and raised questions about EXIM Bank’s internal controls, including the role of a consultant initially engaged to supervise procurement.
He also rejected claims that pre-incorporation transactions were unlawful, noting that promoters are permitted under the law to enter into contracts before a company’s registration.
Calling for the matter to be handled without political references, Appiah-Kubi said he would wait for the charge sheet before presenting a full defence.
Meanwhile, former Ghana School of Law Director Kwaku Ansa-Asare questioned the public announcement of charges before court filings, saying the media should not replace judicial processes.