Attorney General and Minister for Justice Dr. Dominic Ayine has disclosed that Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Bernard Antwi Boasiako—widely known as Chairman Wontumi—allegedly presented a falsified receipt to the Ghana Export-Import (EXIM) Bank in order to obtain a GH¢4 million loan, purportedly for the acquisition of agricultural machinery.

Addressing the Accountability Series on Monday, December 22, Mr. Ayine stated that investigations conducted by the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) established that the document submitted to the bank was not authentic.

He explained that on March 18, 2018, Chairman Wontumi provided EXIM Bank with paperwork from Casama Enterprise, which he claimed showed payment for heavy-duty equipment such as excavators and bulldozers. EOCO’s investigations, however, determined that the document was fabricated.

According to the Attorney General, EOCO uncovered that Chairman Wontumi had initially requested a proforma invoice from Casama Enterprise as part of the intended transaction. Rather than paying for the equipment, he allegedly modified the invoice by changing its description to a “receipt” and later submitted it to EXIM Bank as proof of payment after the loan funds had already been released.

Mr. Ayine further revealed that the proprietor of Casama Enterprise informed EOCO that no payment was ever received and that the only document issued to Wontumi Ghana Limited was a proforma invoice. He added that the company made several attempts to follow up on the transaction, but Chairman Wontumi did not return to finalize the purchase.

The Attorney General said the case underscores the importance of tightening loan approval procedures and reinforcing transparency and accountability in the management of public financial resources.