The Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Bernard Antwi Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, is set to appear before the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service in Accra today, Monday, May 26, 2025.
This follows a dramatic attempt by a joint team of National Security operatives and police officers to arrest him at his residence in Kumasi on Friday, May 23, 2025.
The operation, which saw heavily armed security personnel surround Wontumi’s home at Paraku Estate, sparked a tense standoff as NPP supporters gathered in large numbers to protest what they described as intimidation. The crowd condemned the presence of armed officers, and the situation was defused only after senior party officials intervened.
The motive for the raid remains unclear, though sources indicate it may be linked to ongoing investigations into alleged illegal mining activities by Akonta Mining, a company owned by Wontumi, in the Tano Nimiri Forest Reserve.
Chairman Wontumi, who was reportedly at home during the operation, assured the officers he would honour their invitation to appear before the CID today.
His lawyer, Kwame Adom-Appiah, who also serves as the NPP’s Ashanti Regional Secretary, confirmed their willingness to cooperate.
“We are practising democracy. Wontumi is not someone who can hide from the cameras. He has investments in Ghana, and he is not going anywhere. They have asked us to appear today, so we will go wherever we are asked,” Adom-Appiah told Citi News.
He added, “We have not done anything criminal, and we are not afraid of meeting them.”
The attempted arrest has drawn sharp criticism from NPP supporters, who allege political persecution by the National Democratic Congress (NDC) government, which assumed office on January 7, 2025.
They claim Wontumi has faced targeted harassment, including the freezing of his bank accounts and disruption of his businesses, since the NDC took power.
Wontumi himself accused President John Dramani Mahama of orchestrating the raid, stating, “Am I not a Ghanaian anymore? Now that you’ve won the election and become President, does that mean I’m no longer a Ghanaian?” He urged Ghanaians and NPP supporters to resist what he described as political oppression.
Meanwhile, Deputy Interior Minister Ebenezer Okletey Terlabi defended the operation, insisting it was conducted within national security protocols and was not politically motivated.
