Dr Bawumia slams government over arrest and detention of Chairman Wontumi

Former Vice-President and 2024 presidential candidate of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, has strongly criticised the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) for the arrest and detention of Ashanti Regional NPP Chairman, Bernard Antwi-Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi.

In a Facebook post on Wednesday, 28 May, Dr Bawumia expressed concern over the arrest, stating that Chairman Wontumi’s whereabouts remain unknown.

The former Vice-President underscored the need to uphold the rights of the accused and emphasised the importance of due process.

He wrote:

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Dr Bawumia further stated that he had been in constant contact with Chairman Wontumi’s legal team since the morning to ensure his rights are safeguarded and due process is followed.

He urged EOCO to respect the rights of the NPP regional chairman, cautioning that any deviation from due process could erode public trust in the justice system and undermine Ghana’s democratic principles.

Chairman Wontumi was arrested on Tuesday, 27 May, by EOCO at the premises of the Police Criminal Investigations Department (CID) as part of an ongoing investigation.

While the specific charges have not yet been made public, he was reportedly hospitalised later that evening following several hours of interrogation at EOCO’s headquarters.

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The incident has heightened political tensions, with members of the NPP leadership and supporters condemning EOCO’s approach as heavy-handed.