Wontumi Trial: ‘Investigations established Wontumi forged a receipt’ – Ayine

The Attorney-General and Minister for Justice, Dr. Dominic Ayine, has provided updates on a high-profile alleged corruption case involving NPP Ashanti Region Chair Bernard Antwi Boasiako (Chairman Wontumi). This was during the Government Accountability Series today, Monday, December 22.

The briefing also touched on a separate case involving Percival Kofi Akpaloo.

Dr. Ayine revealed that in December 2017, Wontumi Farms Limited applied for a loan of Ghs18 million to develop maize cultivation across 100,000 acres and to create employment opportunities for the youth. However, at the time the application and a purported board resolution were submitted, the company was not yet legally registered.

“Our investigations established that Wontumi Farms Limited was incorporated on December 14, 2017, and issued a certificate to commence business on same day,” Dr. Ayine explained, noting that the company technically did not exist when the loan request was submitted.

To support the loan application, Wontumi Farms Limited submitted a proforma invoice to Exim Bank for farm machinery, including tractors, combined harvesters, corn seeders, and wellington boots, dated December 15, 2017. When Exim Bank requested proof of purchase, Chairman Wontumi produced a document from Kas-Sama Enterprise for Ghs4 million, claiming the equipment had been acquired.

Dr. Ayine highlighted that discrepancies in the documentation led to further investigation.

“Our investigations established that Chairman Wontumi had approached Kas-Sama Enterprise, an industrial equipment dealer and obtained an invoice with a promise to return to purchase the said equipment. He never went back to purchase the equipment. Instead he forged the invoice he obtained from Kas-Sama Enterprise by removing the word ‘invoice’ and replacing it with ‘receipt’. This forged receipt was then submitted to Exim Bank by as proof that he had purchased the said equipment after the disbursement,” the Attorney-General stated.

He added that the owner of Kas-Sama Enterprise confirmed that only an invoice had been issued, not a receipt. “The forged receipt submitted to Exim Bank suggested that Kas-Sama Enterprise acknowledged receipt of Four Million Ghana Cedis for the purchase of earth moving machines and farming equipment. The so-called receipt had on it ‘50 days to supply and 1 year guarantee and service’, meaning that it was a proform invoice and not a receipt of payment,” Dr. Ayine said.

Wontumi is also on trial on allegations he permitted other individuals to undertake mining on his Akonta Mining concession at Samreboi in the Western Region without a written approval from the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources.

He has been charged with one count of assignment of mineral rights without approval, and another count of purposely facilitating an unlicensed mining operation, contrary to Section 99(2)(b) of the Minerals and Mining Act, 2006 (Act 703) as amended by Section 3 of the Minerals and Mining (Amendment) Act, 2019 (Act 995).

His company, Akonta Mining and another person identified as Kwame Antwi, who is on the run, have been charged with the same offences.

He has pleaded not guilty to all the charges and was granted a bail of GH¢15 million by the court.