Wontumi’s Web Tightens

Plea Bargain Rejected as Legal Pile-Up Deepens

By TNR Files

Bernard Antwi-Boasiako, the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the opposition NPP and convicted galamsey operator better known as Chairman Wontumi, faces a rapidly deteriorating legal position as the Attorney-General’s Office formally rejects his plea-bargaining proposal in the EXIM Bank fraud case, while his appeal against a 20-year prison sentence hangs in the balance.

The rejection, disclosed by Deputy Attorney-General Justice Srem Sai, represents a significant setback for the embattled politician, who arrived at the Accra High Court on July 23 in a prison bus to face proceedings in the separate Tano Nimiri Forest Reserve illegal mining case his first public appearance since the commencement of his custodial sentence.

According to Srem Sai, negotiations under Ghana’s plea-bargaining framework have collapsed after the defence’s financial offer failed to meet the state’s expectations.

“They made a plea proposal of what they want to offer. In our opinion, we are not satisfied, and so we intend to reject it,” the Deputy AG stated.

While declining to disclose the figure proposed, Srem Sai made clear that the amount did not adequately address the gravity of the allegations surrounding the EXIM Bank loan facility a case that carries potentially severe financial and criminal consequences.

The rejection leaves Wontumi exposed to full prosecution on the EXIM Bank charges, adding to an already crowded legal calendar that now includes three active criminal matters: the Samreboi galamsey conviction, the Tano Nimiri proceedings, and the EXIM Bank fraud case.

The Tano Nimiri case, which involves allegations of illegal mining within a protected forest reserve, has been adjourned to July 31. Wontumi appeared before the court dressed in a neatly tucked white long-sleeved shirt and black trousers, having spent two nights in custody following his July 20 sentencing.

He was ushered into the courtroom through a rear entrance a clear attempt to manage the media circus that has followed his legal downfall. The case centres on the unlawful assignment of mineral rights without ministerial authorisation, with Akonta Mining Limited implicated in facilitating operations within the protected area. The corporate entity has also been convicted and fined separately.

Wontumi’s lead counsel, Samuel Atta Akyea, has signalled that the defence intends to challenge the Samreboi conviction, with a notice of appeal expected to be filed by next week.

“We’ve already put together our grounds of appeal, and it’s under consideration,” Atta Akyea said, indicating that the challenge would focus on the court’s interpretation of mineral rights assignment, its treatment of prosecution witnesses, and broader constitutional questions.

The NPP legal team has reportedly offered to collaborate with Atta Akyea, a move he has welcomed. “When you have a congregation of lawyers, the quality or the output is always good,” he noted.

But the appeal faces an uphill battle. The conviction on six counts under Section 99 of Ghana’s Minerals and Mining (Amendment) Act 2019 was delivered after the court dismissed multiple delaying tactics, including a last-minute change of counsel and claims of a lawyer having “traveled.”

Wontumi’s legal implosion carries significant political weight. As a key figure in the NPP’s Ashanti Region power base, his incarceration removes a vocal opposition voice at a time when the party is gearing up for the 2028 elections. The party has framed the prosecutions as politically motivated, though judicial sources insist the cases have proceeded on their merits.

The EXIM Bank rejection, in particular, suggests the state is in no mood for leniency. With the Tano Nimiri case ongoing and the appeal unlikely to produce a swift resolution, Wontumi appears destined to remain in custody for the foreseeable future.

The adjournment of the Tano Nimiri case to July 31 provides only a brief respite. The EXIM Bank prosecution will now proceed in earnest, and the appeal process will test whether the courts were swayed by politics or precedent.

For now, Ghana’s most high-profile galamsey convict is learning that even political connections have their limits. The question is whether his legal team can find a lifeline – or whether the walls are closing in for good.