Policy Analyst, Dr Joshua Jebuntie Zaato, has described the treatment of NPP’s Ashanti Regional Chairman, Bernard Antwi Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, as cruel.
According to him, the actions carried out by state agencies, including EOCO, against Wontumi are unsympathetic and does not align with the government’s reset agenda.
Speaking on TV3’s Key Points, the senior lecturer at the University of Ghana Political Science Department clarified that while he supports the prosecution of individuals suspected of corruption, the manner in which they are treated remains questionable.
“I am not against state agencies prosecuting perceived corrupt persons, but the treatment of Wontumi is inhumane. This is not the reset they want us to believe,” he stated.
Background
Chairman Wontumi is currently under investigation for several serious criminal offenses, including fraud, money laundering, and causing financial loss to the state.
The Deputy Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Dr Justice Srem-Sai, confirmed these investigations on Thursday, May 29, 2025.
According to the Deputy AG, these criminal investigations are running concurrently with efforts to recover assets, aiming to prevent the dissipation of suspected proceeds from crime.
Dr Srem-Sai also hinted at a second line of inquiry, suggesting Wontumi’s alleged involvement in a broader international organized crime scheme, with EOCO collaborating closely with international law enforcement agencies.
Bail and Legal Proceedings
Wontumi was granted bail in the sum of GH¢50 million, with two sureties to be justified.
His legal team, led by lawyer Andy Appiah-Kubi, submitted property documents through Bryan Acheampong, the Member of Parliament for Abetifi, to satisfy the GH¢50 million bail bond imposed by EOCO.
Reports indicate that Bryan Acheampong’s title documents were valued above the required threshold.
However, EOCO officers were unable to proceed with verifying the documents after being notified of a new application requesting a review of the bail terms.
Wontumi’s anticipated release on Friday was stalled due to a last-minute application for a variation of his bail conditions, filed at the High Court.
Appiah-Kubi informed journalists that he only became aware of the bail variation application, filed on May 30, 2025, late Friday evening, which disrupted the validation process of Bryan Acheampong’s documents.
As a result, Chairman Wontumi remains in EOCO custody until the High Court rules on the application, which was filed by legal practitioner Gary Nimako Marfo.
SA/EB
