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Former Vice President and 2024 presidential candidate of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP), Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, has strongly criticised the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO), over what he describes as an "onerous" GH₵50 million bail condition imposed on NPP Ashanti Regional Chairman, Bernard Antwi-Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi.
Chairman Wontumi was arrested by EOCO on Tuesday, 27 May and has remained in custody since.
Although he was granted bail in the sum of GH₵50 million with two sureties, both to be justified, he has so far been unable to meet the conditions for his release.
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The incident has triggered significant political tension. Several NPP supporters, along with senior party leaders, have thronged both EOCO’s headquarters and the offices of the National Intelligence Bureau (NIB) in protest.
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On Friday, 30 May, Dr Bawumia, accompanied by Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin, visited the NIB in an effort to facilitate Wontumi’s release. However, the attempt proved unsuccessful.
Speaking to the media, Dr Bawumia expressed his disappointment at not being allowed access to Wontumi despite prior arrangements:
Unfortunately, we are here at the NIB, and EOCO feel that the crowd is such that they are unable to bring him here at the moment. They’ve indicated they must make proper arrangements before we can see him. We are very, very disappointed, especially as we had made prior arrangements.
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Dr Bawumia went on to condemn the bail conditions, suggesting they were deliberately set to delay Wontumi’s release:
I must put on record that the bail conditions set for Chairman Wontumi, GH₵50 million with two justified sureties, are extremely onerous. I doubt many people in Ghana have property worth GH₵50 million. It appears this was intended simply to prevent his timely release. Nevertheless, we will follow the due legal process to ensure his release as soon as possible.
The former Vice President also appealed for calm among party supporters, urging them to refrain from any actions that might escalate the situation.
Charges Against Chairman Wontumi
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Chairman Wontumi is currently under investigation for multiple criminal offences, including fraud, money laundering, and causing financial loss to the state.
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According to Deputy Attorney General Justice Srem-Sai, the investigation is being conducted in parallel with asset recovery processes aimed at preventing the dissipation of assets suspected to be proceeds of crime.
Additionally, Wontumi is believed to be linked to a broader international organised crime network. EOCO is reportedly collaborating with international law enforcement agencies to pursue this line of investigation.