The New Patriotic Party (NPP) minority in Parliament has strongly condemned the circumstances surrounding the arrest and bail conditions of the party’s Ashanti Regional Chairman, Bernard Antwi Boasiako, also known as Chairman Wontumi.
Speaking to JoyNews‘ Kwaku Asante at the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) headquarters in Accra, the Minority leader, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, described the GH¢50 million bail condition imposed on Wontumi as excessive and unjustifiable.
Chairman Wontumi, who was arrested earlier this week and interrogated by EOCO, was later granted bail of GH¢50 million with two sureties to be justified, a condition party members claim is excessive and politically motivated.
Mr Afenyo-Markin questioned the rationale behind asking a citizen to first provide properties worth GH¢50 million before being granted bail, especially when the individual had already cooperated with law enforcement agencies.
He called on the authorities to reconsider the GH¢50 million bail condition, arguing that it is both unreasonable and unnecessary.
“He was arrested in a rambo-style… you interrogate him, he makes himself available, and your next thing is ‘go and bring title properties worth 50 million cedis. What kind of country are we in,” he asked.
“Have they looked at the Constitution? They should vary the bail term, the man is unwell. He’s in their [EOCO] custody, they know, so they should vary. Wontumi will not run away.
The Minority Leader also issued a stern warning to the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC), urging them to reflect on their actions.
“I’m telling our friends in the NDC, four years will soon come, and if they think that what they are doing is right, they should watch it.
“Treat others the way you expect them to do unto you. If you keep Wontumi, are you using bail to punish him? We’re here protesting. What has Wontumi done?”
Also addressing the media, MP for Ofoase/Ayirebi and former Information Minister, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, described the situation as a misuse of state power to achieve political ends.
“We all understand that what is going on is not law, it is politics, and people need to get that at the back of their mind. The government is seeking to use the legal process to achieve political ends.
“This is a man [Wontumi] who is already cooperating with CID investigations. He’s been granted bail, then on his way home, you now find another state organisation comes to arrest him in a rambo-style swoop. Now, you impose this bail conditions just so that he will struggle to meet it and then you can keep him behind bars,” he said.
He warned that the State was setting a dangerous precedent, using what he described as “the coercive power of the State” to intimidate political actors.
“This is politics, it is not law, and that is why we have to draw the attention that this is unacceptable. They are using the coercive power of the State in an attempt to intimidate political opponents, and that’s what we need to draw attention to,” Mr Nkrumah added.
Meanwhile, the NPP’s National Organiser, Henry Nana Boakye, also known as Nana B, raised serious concerns over Wontumi’s current whereabouts, claiming EOCO officials were unable to confirm his location.
“What they [EOCO] are telling us is that Wontumi is not here. We have asked about his whereabouts, and they are unable to confirm. We’ve asked the director, and we are told the Director-General is not here, his deputies are not here. We demand that there should be fairness in all of this,” he said.
Addressing President John Mahama directly, Nana B said, “President Mahama, what is happening in this country? This is not the rule of law.
“This is a rule of a certain person somewhere wanting to show that yes we have power, we are in charge. He was picked up on Tuesday, as we speak, its been 48 hours and they are telling us that they don’t know his whereabouts.”
The Minority caucus, along with NPP supporters, has been protesting at the EOCO office, demanding a review of the bail conditions and immediate release of Chairman Wontumi, who has been in custody for over 48 hours.
The NPP members insisted they were going to remain at the EOCO headquarters until Wontumi was released, but they eventually dispersed a little after 6:00pm.
Source: Myjoyonline
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