The Attorney General Dr. Dominic Akuritinga Ayine has revealed how Bernard Antwi Boasiako (Chairman Wontumi) provided a forged receipt or proof of purchase to Ghana Exim Bank.
The Attorney General also added Wontumi Farms and its Directors have been charged with defrauding by false pretences, forgery and causing financial loss to the state.
Speaking at the Governmemt Accountability series on December 22, the Minister for Justice recounted the events surrounding the Sidoine between Chairman Wontumi and Exim Bank.
Exim Bank filed a civil suit against Mr. Bernard Antwi Boasiako to recover funds given to Wontumi Farms through him of an amount of 10 million USD for a maize farming project and to purchase equipment such as excavators.
However, subsequently when Exim Bank demanded proof that the equipment had been purchased, they were not given any concrete evidence.
“On March 18, 2018, Chairman Wontumi submitted a receipt from a company knows as Kassama Enterprise for the purchase of the equipment in the sim of 4 million Ghana Cedis,”
“However, and this is where it gets interesting. The equipment purchased as shown on the receipts included bulldozers and excavators. Our investigations established that Chairman Wontumi had approached Kassama Enterprise, an industrial equipment dealer and obtained an invoice with the promise to return RO purchase the said equipment. He never went back to purchase the equipment,”
“Instead, and this is where the criminal enterprise began, he forged the invoice he obtained from Kassama Enterprise by removing the word ‘invoice’ and replacing it with ‘receipt’. This forged receipt eas then submitted to Exim Bank as proof that he had purchased the equipment after the disbursement of the loan.”
The Attorney General explained that the company providing the service denied selling any equipment to Chairman Wontumi.
“The owner of Kassama Enterprise confirmed to investigators of the Economic and Organised Crime Office that the only document he issued to Wontumi Farms Limited through Chairmam Womtumi was a pro forma invoice and not a receipt.”
Dr. Dominic Ayine went on to explain that what gave Chairman Wontumi away was that in the pro forma invoice, there was a section that indicated Kassama Enterprise had 50 days to supply and 1 year guarantee of service, which is seen in pro forma invoices.
“Chairman Womtumi did not purchase any equipment and as such could not register any equipment in the joint names of Exim
bank and Wontumi Farm Limited as per the loan conditions.”
The Attorney General then spelled out the charges to be laid against Wontumi Farms and Chairman Wontumi.
“In the face of the evidence we have gathered in this investigation thoroughly conducted by the Economic and Organised Crime Office, we have made the decision to prosecute Wontumi Farms and its directors with defrauding by false pretences, forgery and causing financial loss to the state in the sum of 25,255,735 Ghana Cedis.”
