The Office of the Attorney-General has rejected a plea bargain proposal submitted by lawyers for businessman Bernard Antwi Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, in connection with criminal charges arising from a loan facility obtained from the Ghana Export-Import (EXIM) Bank.
Deputy Attorney-General Justice Srem Sai disclosed that although negotiations between the prosecution and the defence team had begun under the plea-bargaining process, the proposal presented by Wontumi’s lawyers was deemed unacceptable by the state.
According to him, the offer did not adequately address the concerns of the Attorney-General’s Office, leading to the decision to reject it ahead of a formal engagement with the defence team.
“They made a plea proposal of what they want to offer. In our opinion, we are not satisfied, and so we intend to reject it. In fact, we have in our minds rejected it, just that we’ve not had a meeting with them to inform them of our rejection,” Justice Srem Sai said in an interview with TV3 Ghana.
The Deputy Attorney-General explained that while the details of plea negotiations remain confidential, the defence team had proposed a financial settlement as part of efforts to resolve the matter.
He, however, maintained that the amount proposed was insufficient in the view of the state, prompting the rejection of the offer.
“They offered to pay some amount. It’s enough that we are still bargaining. Because plea bargaining is not supposed to be out there. When we finish, we’ll announce the conclusion, but they made an offer,” he stated.
Justice Srem Sai added that the public would be informed once the plea-bargaining process reaches a conclusion, stressing that the state’s current position is that the proposal does not meet its expectations.
“It’s enough for the public to know that they made an offer which we found inadequate, and we’re going to meet them to inform them of our rejection,” he added.
The development introduces a new twist into the ongoing case involving Chairman Wontumi, as both sides prepare for further discussions on the way forward.
