By Eugene Davis
The Minority Caucus in Parliament is calling for a variation of the bail conditions imposed on Bernard Antwi Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP).
The sit-in comes in response to Wontumi’s continued detention by EOCO after failing to meet the conditions of a GH₵50 million bail granted on Wednesday, May 28.
The bail was granted by the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) following Wontumi’s arrest over alleged financial irregularities.
In protest, Minority Members of Parliament staged a dramatic sit-in outside EOCO’s headquarters in Accra on Thursday, May 29. They also announced a temporary boycott of parliamentary proceedings until their demands are met, insisting that the bail conditions are overly punitive and politically motivated.
Minority Leader and MP for Effutu, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, criticized EOCO’s conduct. “In a Rambo-style, he is arrested. He makes himself available for interrogation, and you ask him to produce titled property worth GHS50 million? What kind of country are we running?” he said during a press briefing outside EOCO’s offices. “The man is unwell, and he’s in their custody. He won’t abscond. The bail terms must be reviewed.”
He further accused the state of using harsh bail terms as a political weapon, warning the ruling party of potential retaliation if power changes hands. “Treat others the way you expect to be treated. If our colleagues in the NDC believe this is fair, they should remember—four years will come.”
The protest brought portions of central Accra to a standstill, drawing a heavy police presence as chants and placards called for fairness and due process.
Chairman Wontumi was initially invited by the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) on Tuesday, May 27, for questioning related to alleged illegal mining activities—including mining without a license, encroaching on forest reserves, and polluting water bodies. After the CID interrogation, EOCO officers took him into custody over separate investigations involving suspected financial irregularities at the Ghana Export-Import Bank (EXIMBANK).
While EOCO has granted him bail, the requirement for two sureties with verified assets has not yet been fulfilled.
Minority Chief Whip Frank Annoh-Dompreh pledged the caucus’s continued support for Wontumi, warning of further action if the matter remains unresolved.
Meanwhile, NPP General Secretary Justin Kodua Frempong rallied party supporters, stating, “We will not give up on Wontumi. We’ll support him every step of the way. And come what may, we will respond in kind when the political tides shift.”
Legal analysts have criticized EOCO’s bail conditions as excessive, cautioning that such measures could erode public confidence in the independence of investigative institutions.
EOCO has so far declined to comment on the matter. Sources close to the investigation suggest it may involve complex financial transactions related to public funds and mining interests.
