Deputy AG Signals Trial Continues, Defence Left Fustrated
TNR Files
Efforts by Bernard Antwi Boasiako (‘Chairman Wontumi’) to settle his fraud case with the Export-Import Bank of Ghana have stalled, after prosecutors rejected a reported GH¢12 million proposal as insufficient. The criminal trial will continue, Deputy Attorney General Dr Justice Srem-Sai told The New Republic, even as negotiations remain open.
The decision to press ahead with proceedings was communicated to Wontumi’s lawyers after two meetings, Dr Srem-Sai said. “We have decided to proceed with the trial while we continue negotiations on the side,” he explained.
Prosecutors would normally pause a case during settlement talks, but the state judged the circumstances exceptional. The defence is said to be unhappy, but Dr Srem-Sai made clear that only a settlement meeting the government’s requirements would alter the trial schedule.
Bank’s loss estimate dwarfs offerThe GH¢12 million figure, if accurate, is “far below what even the bank expects to get”, the Deputy AG said. The state would not accept less than half of the alleged losses merely to end the proceedings, he stressed. No specific sum was disclosed, but sources indicate EXIM Bank’s claimed exposure is substantially higher.
Wontumi’s legal team has been told what would be needed to shift the state’s position, but Dr Srem-Sai reiterated that talks will not automatically halt the trial. Unless both sides reach an acceptable agreement, the prosecution will run its course.