The Deputy Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Justice Srem-Sai, has addressed the controversial detention of Bernard Antwi Boasiako, commonly known as Chairman Wontumi. He revealed that the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) is under investigation for serious criminal offenses, including fraud, causing financial loss to the state, and money laundering. In a Facebook post on Thursday, May 28, 2025, Justice Srem-Sai stated that the investigations are not confined to local criminal activities; they are also part of a broader international organized crime investigation being conducted in collaboration with global law enforcement partners.
“Suspect Bernard Antwi Boasiako, also known as Chairman Wontumi, is currently under investigation for various criminal offenses. The investigation is occurring alongside asset recovery processes aimed at preventing the potential dissipation of what law enforcement agencies strongly suspect to be proceeds from crime, as stated by the Deputy Attorney-General. He also noted that a second aspect of the investigation is part of a larger international organized crime scheme, with the Economic and Organized Crime Office (EOCO) collaborating with international agencies.
This public clarification from the Deputy Attorney-General follows a walkout staged by Minority Members of Parliament from the New Patriotic Party (NPP), who then marched to the EOCO headquarters in Accra. They were protesting what they described as harsh bail conditions imposed on their party member. Chairman Wontumi was reportedly detained overnight after failing to meet a GH¢50 million bail condition set by EOCO in connection with the ongoing investigations.
For more than three hours on Thursday, NPP MPs and party executives picketed outside EOCO’s premises, demanding the review of what they considered unjust bail conditions and insisting that Wontumi’s detention was politically motivated. However, the Deputy Attorney-General’s statement provides the first official insight into the depth and seriousness of the charges facing the Ashanti NPP Chairman, essentially justifying EOCO’s caution in releasing the suspect.
The bail terms, which include significant financial and legal obligations, appear to be part of efforts to ensure that suspected illicit assets are not lost or moved during the investigation. Meanwhile, EOCO has maintained its silence on the political fallout. Chairman Wontumi was arrested by EOCO on Tuesday, May 27, after he reported to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) for questioning. He was subsequently held at the EOCO head office in Accra.
His lawyer, Andy Appiah Kubi, confirmed that his client was being investigated on allegations of causing financial loss to the state. He was subsequently granted bail of GH¢50 million with two sureties, both to be justified. Chairman Wontumi, however, spent the night behind bars at the EOCO headquarters in Accra after failing to meet the full bail conditions.
By: Ebenezer Afanyi Dadzie
