The Ashanti Regional Chairman of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP), Bernard Antwi Boasiako, commonly known as Chairman Wontumi, has been released from the custody of the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) after meeting his bail conditions. The General Secretary of the NPP, Justin Kodua, confirmed his release in a media interview on the evening of Monday, June 2. He also praised Dr. Bryan Acheampong from the NPP, who acted as one of the sureties for Chairman Wontumi’s release.
Chairman Wontumi was granted bail in the amount of GH₵50 million, with two sureties, following his arrest on Tuesday, May 27, in connection with ongoing investigations into alleged fraud, money laundering, and causing financial loss to the state.
The charges also include a potential link to a wider international organised crime syndicate, as revealed by the Deputy Attorney-General, Justice Srem-Sai. It has emerged that the Financial Intelligence Centre (FIC) is also preparing its own docket as part of the ongoing investigations into Chairman Wuntomi’s activities, independent from ongoing EOCO and Criminal Investigations Department (CID) probes.
His release follows a period of intense legal manoeuvring and political pressure. Initially, Wontumi’s legal team struggled to meet the hefty bail terms, leading to days in detention. However, his lead counsel, Andy Appiah-Kubi, confirmed on Friday, May 30, that the necessary documentation for both sureties had been completed, significantly aided by former Minister for Food and Agriculture Bryan Acheampong, whose documents reportedly “go over and above the value of money that is required”.
Despite meeting the bail conditions on Friday, Wontumi’s release was delayed by an unexpected “legal challenge” – an application filed to seek a review of the bail conditions. His lawyers were optimistic this hurdle would be cleared by Monday, June 2. The application has since been withdrawn to pave the way for his release.
Throughout his detention, the case garnered significant political attention, with NPP Members of Parliament and party executives, along with many supporters, staging protests and demanding his release, describing the bail conditions as excessive and politically motivated. The application to review the bail conditions was scheduled to be heard June 3, 2025, but the applicant made a U-turn Monday, withdrawing the application from the court entirely. While released, Chairman Wontumi is expected to cooperate fully with the ongoing probe as part of his bail terms.
By: David Apinga
