Samuel Huntor, the Media Liaison Officer for the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, has heavily criticised Bernard Antwi Boasiako, widely known as Chairman Wontumi, for claiming that a mega-farm funded by an Exim Bank loan was entirely destroyed by floods.
Huntor described the claim as the most ridiculous excuse imaginable from someone currently standing trial for alleged financial crimes.
Speaking on the programme Frontline on Rainbow Radio 87.5FM, Huntor urged Ghanaians not to allow themselves to be deceived. He pointed out that Wontumi is attempting to convince the public that a 100,000-acre maize farm was completely submerged by water after he allegedly fraudulently procured a GH¢30 million loan from EXIM Bank.
He stressed that this explanation is utterly absurd and that under no circumstances should the public be treated as fools.
To put the scale into perspective, Huntor noted that a 100,000-acre tract of land is equivalent to approximately 400,000 standard 90-by-100-foot plots. He questioned how it was possible for the entire farm to be ruined by a flood when Wontumi still managed to receive a Best Farmer Award during that period.
He further questioned whether Ghana had ever witnessed a rainfall event severe enough to flood an area equivalent to 400,000 households at once, calling the excuse an insane statement born out of pure madness.
Addressing show host Kwabena Agyapong, Huntor asked if anyone had ever heard of such a phenomenon in their lives.
He noted that since Wontumi secured the loan in 2017, he had shown absolutely no intention of paying it back, despite being pursued by the bank.
He argued that if the New Patriotic Party (NPP) had remained in power, the debt would have simply been written off as a bad loan, allowing Wontumi to walk away with public funds.
During the broadcast, Huntor stated that Wontumi went in for the loan in 2017 and throughout the nine years the NPP government was in office, he made no effort to pay.
He remarked that Wontumi is only now applying for a plea bargain because the NPP’s defeat has exposed him, having previously ignored the banks when they went after him.
Reflecting on global governance, Huntor remarked that strict law enforcement, even against the most powerful members of society, is what has helped developed nations thrive.
He underscored the need for the state to show no mercy to anyone suspected of stealing, misappropriating, or embezzling state funds.
He insisted that when it comes to implementing the rule of law in Ghana, there should be no sympathy because the money belongs to the taxpayers, and one individual cannot refuse to repay a massive loan simply because of political connections.
Furthermore, Huntor accused Wontumi of using state resources to establish radio and television stations specifically to misinform the public.
He likened the situation to someone using counterfeit money to buy illegal drugs right outside a courtroom.
He concluded by alleging that Wontumi used fake documents to apply for the loan before his company was even registered, and that instead of purchasing the tractors he promised, he diverted the funds into building his media empire, meaning he cannot now use dubious means to secure a loan and simply expect forgiveness.
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana