Bernard Antwi Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) has denied receiving a GH₵50 million payment from the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) during the final days in office.
According to Chairman Wontumi, the allegations are absolutely untrue.
On Monday, May 26, shortly after being granted bail in a separate case involving alleged illegal mining, Chairman Wontumi told the media, “It is absolutely untrue that I collected money from COCOBOD”.
“If you are constructing a road, the government doesn’t give you the money upfront—you use your own funds”, he added.
“The contractor is reimbursed only after the road is completed. At that point, engineers from the Ghana Highways Authority and COCOBOD assess the project and value it based on the agreed rates”, he explained.
Wontumi added that the contract specified payment within 28 days of project completion.
However, he asserted that COCOBOD took nearly three years to fulfill its financial obligation.
“So COCOBOD cannot claim they do not owe me,” he added.
Chairman Wontumi, was fingered for allegedly receiving GH¢50m from former deputy COCOBOD CEO Emmanuel Ray Ankrah.
According to the report the payment was made despite the Chief of Staff’s Julius Debrah explicit instruction to all state institutions to suspend payments.
The Ghana Chronicles in a post on X wrote, “ According to credible sources, on January 8, 2025, Wontumi received a whopping GH₵50,871,811.52 from the then-Deputy Chief Executive of COCOBOD, Emmanuel Ray Ankrah.
This payment was made, despite Mr Debrah’s explicit instruction to all state institutions to suspend payments until the incoming government had reviewed all outstanding payment certificates.
The payment was made for a cocoa roads project executed by Hallmark Civil Engineering, a company owned by Mr Boasiako”.
The Ghana Chronicles had earlier revealed that Chairman Wontumi’s bank account was frozen over alleged financial misconduct involving GH¢11 million cash withdrawal and GH¢39 million securities Transfer.
According to the Ghana Chronicles, Wontumi withdrew GH¢11 million in cash, bought 365-day Government securities worth GH¢39 million, and transferred them to his company, Paradise Insurance Company.
Again, the construction company Hallmark Civil Engineering was paid GH¢50,871,811.52 million by ex-deputy Chief Executive of COCOBOD Emmanuel Ray Ankrah, against the explicit directive of the Chief of Staff.
Meanwhile, Chairman Wontumi arrived at the Police CID Headquarters accompanied by former Attorney General Godfred Dame to honour an official invitation from the Criminal Investigation Department.
Wontumi’s appearance at the CID headquarters follows a failed attempt by the National Investigations Bureau (NIB) and the Ghana Police Service on Friday, May 23, 2025, after they storm the residence of Chairman Wontumi, to effect an arrest.
Chairman Wontumi was also accompanied by Lawyer Andy Appiah-Kubi a former Member of Parliament for Asante-Akim North.
He is set to report to the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) again on Tuesday, May 27, 2025.
Superintendent Joseph Benefo Darkwah, Head of the Public Affairs Unit at the CID in a press release revealed Wontumi was cautioned on three allegations:
- Undertaking mining operations without a license
- Pollution of water bodies
- Entering a forest reserve without authorisation
Watch the video below:
— KALYJAY (@gyaigyimii) May 26, 2025
