Respect Chairman Wontumi’s rights, act lawfully — Bawumia urges EOCO

Former Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia has waded into the arrest and detention of the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Bernard Antwi Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi.

The 2024 NPP flagbearer has called on the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO), which picked up the businessman and politician, to follow due process and respect his rights.

While acknowledging that no individual is above the law, Dr. Bawumia maintained that every citizen, regardless of political affiliation, deserves to be treated fairly.

“I urge the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) and all relevant state institutions to act strictly within the bounds of the law and to respect the rights of Mr. Wontumi as guaranteed by our Constitution.

“Any deviation from these principles risks undermining public trust in our justice system and weakening the democratic values we have worked hard to build,” he wrote in a social media post on Wednesday, May 28.

The former Vice President also expressed concern about the arrest and continued detention of the NPP stalwart, especially as the charges remain vague and his whereabouts still unknown.

“Ghana must always remain a nation governed by law — not by arbitrary power. Our Republic is strongest when our institutions are both firm and fair,” he stressed.