The Attorney General, Dominic Ayine, has alleged that Bernard Antwi Boasiako, Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, submitted a forged receipt to the Ghana Export-Import (EXIM) Bank to secure a GH¢4 million loan for the alleged purchase of farming equipment.
Speaking at the Accountability Series on Monday, December 22, Mr Ayine said investigations by the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) confirmed that the document presented to the bank was falsified.
According to the Attorney General, on March 18, 2018, Chairman Wontumi submitted a document from Casama Enterprise, claiming it was proof of payment for equipment including bulldozers and excavators. EOCO’s investigations, however, revealed that the document was not genuine.
EOCO found that Chairman Wontumi had initially obtained a proforma invoice from Casama Enterprise intending to complete the transaction. Instead of paying, he allegedly altered the document by replacing the word “invoice” with “receipt” and submitted it to EXIM Bank as evidence of payment after the loan had been disbursed.
Mr Ayine stated that the owner of Casama Enterprise confirmed to EOCO that no payment was ever made and that the only document issued to Wontumi Ghana Limited was a proforma invoice.
“The owner of Casama Enterprise confirmed to EOCO investigators that the only document issued to Wontumi Ghana Limited, through Chairman Wontumi, was a proforma invoice and not a receipt,” he said.
He added that despite repeated follow-ups by Casama Enterprise, Chairman Wontumi never returned to complete the purchase.
“He stated that he did not hear from Chairman Wontumi again despite repeated follow-up calls. The forged receipt submitted to EXIM Bank falsely suggested that Casama Enterprise had received 4 million GHS for the purchase of farming equipment and earth-moving machinery,” Mr Ayine explained.
The Attorney General emphasized that the case highlights the need for stronger controls in loan processing and greater accountability in public financial transactions.