News
Attorney-General questions equipment purchases in Exim Bank loan case
The Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Dominic Ayine, has disclosed troubling findings from investigations into a loan facility granted by the Ghana Exim Bank to Wontumi Farms Limited, a company linked to Bernard Antwi Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi.
At the Government Accountability Series, Mr. Ayine said investigations showed that Chairman Wontumi did not buy any equipment with funds disbursed to him under the loan agreement, even though the money was released for that specific purpose.
He explained that under the terms of the loan, all equipment purchased was supposed to be registered in the joint names of Ghana Exim Bank and Wontumi Farms Limited.
However, this did not happen because no equipment was bought. According to him, investigators were also unable to trace any of the equipment Mr. Boasiako claimed he had purchased.
The Attorney-General revealed that although Chairman Wontumi submitted receipts to Exim Bank as proof of purchase, the documents were later found to be forged.
During interrogation, Mr. Boasiako told investigators that he bought what he described as “secondhand brand new” equipment and insisted that all receipts and related documents had been submitted to the bank.
Ghana Exim Bank has denied this claim. The bank stated that neither Wontumi Farms Limited nor Chairman Wontumi submitted any genuine documents covering the purchase of the required equipment, apart from the forged receipts identified during investigations.
Mr. Ayine provided further details, explaining that as part of the loan application process, Wontumi Farms Limited submitted a proforma invoice to Exim Bank on December 15, 2017.
The invoice listed farm equipment such as tractors, combine harvesters, corn seeder machines and wellington boots, which were to be used to execute the project.
He said the loan application was for GHS18 million and was meant to support maize cultivation on 100,000 acres of land, while also creating jobs for the youth.
After the loan was processed, Exim Bank demanded proof that the equipment had been purchased.
On March 18, 2018, Chairman Wontumi submitted a document from Kas-Sama Enterprise, indicating the purchase of equipment valued at GHS4 million.
However, investigations showed that the items listed on the document included a bulldozer and an excavator, which raised further questions.
Mr. Ayine disclosed that Chairman Wontumi had earlier approached Kas-Sama Enterprise, an industrial equipment dealer, and obtained an invoice with a promise to return later to complete the purchase.
According to the Attorney-General, Chairman Wontumi never went back to buy the equipment. Instead, he altered the invoice by removing the word “invoice” and replacing it with “receipt,” making it appear as though payment had been made.
This forged receipt was then submitted to Exim Bank as proof that the equipment had been purchased after the loan disbursement.
The owner of Kas-Sama Enterprise confirmed to investigators that the only document issued to Wontumi Farms Limited was an invoice, not a receipt.
He also said he never received any payment and did not hear from Chairman Wontumi again, despite making several follow-up calls.
Investigators also noted that the so-called receipt stated “50 days to supply and 1 year guarantee and service,” which clearly indicated that the document was a proforma invoice and not evidence of payment.
Mr. Ayine also raised concerns about the status of Wontumi Farms Limited at the time the loan application was submitted.
He said that although the company applied for the GHS18 million loan in December 2017 and submitted what was described as a board resolution, the company had not yet been registered.
Investigations established that Wontumi Farms Limited was incorporated on December 14, 2017, and issued a certificate to commence business on the same day.
This meant the company did not exist at the time the loan application was submitted by its sole shareholder and director.
The Attorney-General said the findings raise serious concerns about the use of public funds and form part of government’s broader efforts to promote transparency and accountability under the Government Accountability Series.
By: Jacob Aggrey
Troubled and anxious citizens in Damongo of the Savannah Region have expressed concerns about the number of young people, believed to be under the age of 18, involved in ‘shisha’ smoking in pubs and drinking spots within the township.
Eyewitnesses say the minors were seen patronising nightlife venues, where Shisha smoking happen in the open.
The situation has sparked renewed public concern over the enforcement of child protection laws and regulations governing the operations of entertainment centres in the municipality and country as a whole.
An eyewitness, who spoke to The Spectator on conditions of anonymity for security reasons, noted that the situation was becoming increasingly common.
“This is not a one-off incident. It is becoming very common, but residents like us cannot openly report or speak about it because our lives will be at risk,” he said.
Under Ghanaian law, minors were prohibited from patronising Shisha.
Public health experts have consistently warned that shisha use exposes users to harmful substances that can negatively affect brain development, respiratory health, and overall well-being, particularly among young people.
The residents believe the alleged incidents point to broader challenges relating to youth supervision, substance abuse, and weak enforcement of existing regulations and have called on municipal authorities, security agencies, and regulatory bodies to intensify monitoring of pubs and entertainment centres to ensure compliance with the law.
In an effort to address the menace, Mr Salisu Be-Awurbi, the Savannah Regional Minister, has led public education campaigns, engaged security agencies, and supported enforcement actions to address the rising use of illicit substances in the region.
Wura Kelly Seidu Boresah I, the Chief of Damongo, has also called on all stakeholders including parents, community leaders, institutions, and young people to actively support efforts to curb drug abuse, warning that the rising consumption of hard drugs poses a serious health threat to the future of the youth in the Savannah Region.
He also cautioned individuals involved in the sale and distribution of illicit drugs to immediately desist from the practice, stressing that offenders will face arrest and prosecution in accordance with the law.
From Geoffrey Buta, Damongo, Savannah Region
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Dr Theresa Baffour, an advocate for ending violence and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of SAHM SAHW Foundation, has said that society plays a critical and pivotal role in breaking the cycle of domestic violence.
According to her, domestic violence is a major contributor of making women, who are mostly the victims, mentally derailed and unable to engage in economic activities.
She said this when the foundation called on the Ga Mantse, Nii Tackie Teiko Tsuru II, to solicit support for the initiative by the “Strong and Healthy Minds, Strong and Healthy Women” (SAHM SAHW) to combat domestic violence within the Ga State.
The visit was occasioned by the fact that domestic violence cases have become quite prevalent in the Ga communities and is retarding growth.
According to her, the canker was an impediment to national development because the victims were usually tortured and would have to go through series of therapies to return to the right state of mind.
Dr Baffour mentioned that Gender-Based Violence (GBV) places a mental toll on women, and was, therefore, important to break the cycle through comprehensive mental health support, crisis intervention and empowerment programmes in communities with high rates of GBV.
This intervention, she underscored, would help in empowering the denigrated victim of domestic violence to soundly heal, build and thrive.
Dr Baffour added that the initiative would provide holistic, trauma-informed mental health care and advocacy for young women affected by domestic violence.
According to her, the above statement would create safe spaces for healing and equipping them with entrepreneurial skills for renewed hope and empowered life.
The Ga Mantse pledged his support for the laudable initiative to combat domestic violence and also acknowledged the need to address it in the Ga State.
Further endorsement came from Justice Julia Naa-Yarley Adjei Amoah, Chief of Staff at the Office of the Ga Mantse, as she commended the team of SAHM SAHW Foundation for taking a bold step to end the canker in the Greater Accra.
She added that it was a step in the right direction to save vulnerable women from torture, stress and emotional abuse.
By Alfred Nii Arday Ankrah
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