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
Ahyiresu and Abofrem, two quiet communities in the Atwima Mponua District, have been shaken to the core by a chilling midnight drama that reads like a nightmare.
A pastor and a young mother stand accused of attempting to bury a five‑month‑old baby girl alive, a crime that has ignited outrage and disbelief across the township.
According to police, Apostle Richmond Akwasi Frimpong, 36, Head Pastor of the Anointed Grace Prayer Ministry at Kuffour Camp, conspired with his uncle Emmanuel Appiah, 53, and the child’s mother, 23‑year‑old Beatrice Agyapomaa, to dispose of the infant, Anaya Achiaa, under the cover of darkness.
A fourth suspect, Emmanuel Donkor, remains on the run.
The suspects were caught near a refuse dump around 10 pm on April 9, 2026, after a vigilant resident, Akwasi Twezor, noticed their suspicious movements.
When confronted, they claimed the child was already dead and had palace approval for burial. But Twezor’s instincts proved right—the baby was still alive, gasping faintly for breath.
Chief Linguist, Nana Yaw Badu, later confirmed that Frimpong had misled him earlier in the evening, securing permission for burial by falsely declaring the child dead.
The infant was rushed to the Abofrem Clinic, where she is now responding well to treatment. Police described her as “very beautiful.”
Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Evelyn Yitamkey, Commander of DOVVSU in Bibiani, confirmed that the suspects have been provisionally charged.
Frimpong faces attempted murder and conspiracy charges, while Agyapomaa and Appiah are charged with conspiracy and abetment.
They were remanded by the Bibiani Circuit Court, presided over by Judge Frank Asiedu Nimako, to assist investigations.
The docket has been forwarded to the Attorney General’s Department for advice, ASP Yitamkey indicated.
The attempted crime has provoked fury among residents, many suspecting ritual motives aimed at bolstering the pastor’s influence.
Crowds attempted to attack the suspects outside court, but police intervention prevented mob justice.
The Assembly Member for Ahyiresu, Yusuf Suleiman, has assured residents that justice will be pursued swiftly.
From Kingsley E. Hope, Kumasi
The forecourt of the African University of Communications and Business (AUCB) in Accra came alive on Friday with colour, creativity and innovation, as Level 300 students transformed the space into a lively exhibition of ideas.
Under the theme “Building meaningful brands beyond the logo,” the students invited patrons into a world where ordinary products were reimagined through storytelling, design and purpose.
From scented candles to innovative food concepts, each stand told a unique story, one that went beyond aesthetics to capture identity, value and human connection.
For many of the students, the event was more than just an academic exercise; it was a moment to dream out loud.
Guided by their lecturer, Peter Wonders, they explored what it truly means to build a brand in today’s competitive world where trust, consistency and experience matter just as much as logos and slogans.
Chairman of the occasion, Nana Kum Gyata VI, in his remarks said a brand is what people say about you when you are not present.
At the end of the presentations, awards were presented to deserving groups with Vida Nyaneba emerging as the overall best branding student.
By Esinam Jemima Kuatsinu
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