The Ashanti Regional NPP Chairman, Bernard Antwi Boasiako, aka Chairman Wontumi, has refuted claims that he received a GH¢50 million payment from the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) during the final days of the Akufo-Addo administration.
The allegations, which have circulated widely in recent media reports, suggest that Wontumi’s company, Hallmark Engineering, was paid the sum despite a directive from the then-incoming Chief of Staff, Julius Debrah, to halt contract payments during the transition period.
Describing the claims as “completely false and misleading,” Wontumi strongly denied any wrongdoing.
“It is absolutely untrue that I collected money from COCOBOD,” he told journalists in Accra on Monday, 26 May, shortly after being granted bail in a separate case concerning alleged illegal mining activities.
Wontumi explained that government contractors are not given funds in advance and are required to pre-finance their projects before being reimbursed.
“If you are constructing a road, the government doesn’t give you the money upfront—you use your own funds,” he stated, highlighting the standard procedure for infrastructure contracts.
He added that after completing the work, contractors are reimbursed based on verified assessments by relevant government agencies.
“The contractor is reimbursed only after the road is completed,” he said. “At that point, engineers from the Ghana Highways Authority and COCOBOD assess the project and value it based on the agreed rates.”
According to Wontumi, the contract required COCOBOD to issue payment within 28 days of completion.
However, he alleged that the institution delayed the payment for nearly three years.
“So COCOBOD cannot claim they do not owe me,” he concluded, insisting that any funds eventually received were legitimate and overdue.
Source: myjoyonline.com
