A member of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Communications Team, Sylvester Tetteh, has called for caution in public commentary surrounding the ongoing criminal case involving Ashanti Regional NPP Chairman Bernard Antwi-Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi.
Speaking on Channel One TV’s The Big Issue, Tetteh argued that the matter remains before the courts and that political actors should refrain from making assumptions about its eventual outcome.
According to him, comments by some members of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) suggest they are already anticipating a conviction, despite the judicial process still being underway.
“It looks as if the NDC is the arbiter in the Wontumi case because they seem to know that he will be convicted. You don’t know the outcome of the decision yet, and you are celebrating that,” he stated.
Tetteh stressed that the principles of due process and fairness require that the courts be allowed to determine the case without undue political commentary or attempts to shape public opinion.
His remarks come as the Accra High Court considers developments in the ongoing criminal trial involving Wontumi and his company, Wontumi Farms Limited.
The Office of the Attorney-General recently informed the court that the first accused person has initiated steps toward a plea bargain under the Criminal and Other Offences (Procedure) Act.
The request, filed through his lawyer, Andy Appiah-Kubi, seeks a negotiated settlement as legal proceedings continue.
Prosecutors allege that between 2018 and 2022, Bernard Antwi-Boasiako and another accused person, who is currently at large, obtained more than GH¢14.3 million from the Ghana Export-Import Bank (EXIM Bank) through false pretences using Wontumi Farms Limited.
The charge sheet also includes allegations of forgery and money laundering linked to additional financial facilities obtained from the bank.
The Attorney-General’s Department, with Deputy Attorney-General Dr. Justice Srem-Sai playing a key role in the prosecution, is pursuing the case on behalf of the state.
Meanwhile, the court has scheduled July 3, 2026, for further proceedings as discussions on the proposed plea bargain continue alongside the substantive trial.
