Bawumia leads NPP in aggressive search for 'missing' Wontumi as he's likely to spend weekend in custody
Some supporters and members of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) are wandering about in town, looking for any hint to reach out to the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Bernard Antwi Boasiako also known as Chairman Wontumi.
Former Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia led some NPP bigwigs in an aggressive search on Friday evening to release Chairman Wontumi, who was arrested by the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) on Tuesday evening.
The team are racing against time to ensure Chairman Wontumi, wherever he is being held, does not spend the weekend in the custody of the investigative body.
But in all the merry-go-rounds, it appears the opposition party do not know the exact location Chairman Wontumi is being held.
This evening, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin and some party leaders stormed the headquarters of the National Intelligence Bureau (NIB) in Accra, hoping to satisfy the GHS50million bail conditions set for Chairman Wontumi.
However, their hopes were dashed as they were turned away without seeing their Ashanti Regional Chairman.
Addressing the media, the former Vice President expressed disappointment for their inability to see Chairman Wontumi during their visit.
According to him, they had made prior arrangements with EOCO, where they were being told Chairman Wontumi was transferred and kept in the custody of the NIB.
He said the NIB officials told them a different story when they entered the building.
According to him, the NIB officials retorted that the huge crowd at the frontage did not give them leeway to bring Chairman Wontumi to the facility, with the assurance that special arrangements would be made to bring him in once they get the opportunity.
Visibly unhappy, Dr. Bawumia left the premises of the NIB insisting that the opposition party will do everything possible to release Chairman Wontumi.
Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin told the press, "he is nowhere to be found.....They are using the bail to punish him. Posterity is watching."
Yesterday, Thursday May 29, the NPP MPs boycotted parliamentary proceeding in protest of the detention of Chairman Wontumi.
The Minority MPs marched to the headquarters of the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) to demand the immediate release of Wontumi.
The Minority MPs, led by Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin decried what they described as political persecution and the weaponisation of state institutions against political opponents.
They took over portions of the street directly in front of EOCO’s office in Accra Central and sat on the bare floor, chanting and calling for justice for their Ashanti Regional Chairman. They vowed to sleep at the frontage of the EOCO till Chairman Wontumi is released.
After hours of protest, they were told Chairman Wontumi was not in the custody of the EOCO. This compelled the NPP MPs to retreat to Parliament and re-strategise their next action.
These events suggest that the opposition NPP do not have an accurate compass on the whereabout of their Ashanti Regional Chairman as they keep wandering from one place to another, hoping to find him.
Invesigation for Financial Crimes
Deputy Attorney General and Minister for Justice, Justice Srem-Sai, has publicly confirmed that Chairman Wontumi is the subject of an active criminal investigation.
The probe, led by the EOCO, involves multiple allegations including fraud, money laundering, and causing financial loss to the state.
In a statement shared on his official X (formerly Twitter) account, the Deputy Attorney General outlined the scope of the investigation, which includes both criminal charges and asset recovery efforts.
“Suspect BERNARD ANTWI BOASIAKO, a.k.a. Chairman Wontumi, is under investigation for various criminal offences (including fraud, causing financial loss to the State, and money laundering),” he stated.
Justice Srem-Sai added that parallel to the criminal inquiry, EOCO is working to trace and secure assets believed to have been acquired through illicit means.
“The criminal investigation is running concurrently with asset recovery proceedings to prevent further dissipation of what law enforcement agencies strongly suspect to be proceeds of crime,” he explained.
Beyond the local investigation, the Deputy Attorney General revealed a broader, second phase of the case. EOCO, he said, is collaborating with global enforcement bodies to trace potential international links.
“The suspect is also under a second strand of investigation which is part of a larger international organised crime scheme. The Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) is assiduously working with our international law enforcement partners on this second strand of criminal investigations,” he added.
The confirmation from the Deputy Attorney General adds weight to growing speculation around the high-profile case, which has stirred political tension and raised questions about the extent of Wontumi’s alleged activities.