The opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) has criticised the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) for what it describes as an unnecessary and overly aggressive arrest of its Ashanti Regional Chairman, Bernard Antwi-Boasiako, popularly known as “Chairman Wontumi.”
Speaking on JoyFM’s Top Story on Tuesday, May 27, the General Secretary of the NPP, Justin Frimpong Kodua, expressed dismay at the conduct of EOCO operatives, who intercepted and re-arrested Mr. Antwi-Boasiako shortly after he had concluded an engagement with the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) at its headquarters in Accra.
“We are very surprised because this is a person who was invited by the Ghana Police Service and he honoured that invitation,” Mr. Kodua stated.
“If indeed, in good faith, EOCO also wanted to invite him, they could have done so.”
According to him, the sequence of events surrounding the re-arrest of Wontumi not only risks creating avoidable public tension but also undermines the integrity of Ghana’s democratic institutions.
He stated that while no individual is above the law, enforcement agencies must act within procedural boundaries that reflect the rule of law and mutual respect among state institutions.
“For the sanctity of our democracy, we don’t need to go through this drama and this rambo-style of arresting people and trying to show that we are in government and we have the power,” he said.
Mr. Kodua further recalled a statement by President John Mahama during his swearing-in, in which he pledged to be “a father for all.”
He questioned whether the recent developments reflect that vision, cautioning that such acts could erode public confidence in the country’s governance and legal systems.
“What we are seeing, is it the kind of resetting that they are resetting the country? Then I’m afraid for our democracy.”
He stated that if EOCO wanted to invite someone, “let us go through the normal process just like what the police did,” saying, “I don’t know what EOCO intends to achieve with this kind of rambo-style arrest.”
Chairman Wontumi had earlier turned himself in to the CID in relation to ongoing investigations into alleged illegal mining activities, including operating in forest reserves without authorisation.
He was released on bail and directed to return for further inquiry. However, EOCO operatives arrested him as he exited the CID premises, with the precise grounds for the action yet to be officially clarified.
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