Bernard Antwi Boasiako, Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP)
The Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Bernard Antwi Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, will remain in the custody of the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) over the weekend, according to reports.
His anticipated release on Friday was stalled by a last-minute application for a variation of his bail conditions filed at the High Court.
Chairman Wontumi’s legal team, led by lawyer Andy Appiah-Kubi, had submitted property documents through Bryan Acheampong, the Member of Parliament for Abetifi, to satisfy the GH¢50 million bail bond imposed by EOCO.
Reports indicate that Bryan Acheampong’s title documents were valued above the required threshold.
However, EOCO officers were unable to proceed with verifying the documents after being informed of a new application requesting a review of the bail terms.
Appiah-Kubi told journalists that he only became aware of the bail variation application, filed on May 30, 2025, late Friday evening. This unexpected development disrupted the process of validating Acheampong’s documents.
As a result, Chairman Wontumi will remain in EOCO custody until the High Court rules on the application, which was filed by legal practitioner Gary Nimako Marfo.
The hearing for this application is scheduled for Tuesday, June 3, 2025.
Currently, Nimako Marfo has the option to withdraw his application for bail review, since Chairman Wontumi has already secured a surety through Appiah-Kubi.
This would clear the way for EOCO officers to vet Acheampong’s documents on Monday, June 2, 2025, potentially leading to Chairman Wontumi’s release on bail while investigations continue.
Allegations and ongoing investigations
Chairman Wontumi is currently under investigation for several serious criminal offenses, including fraud, money laundering, and causing financial loss to the state.
Dr Justice Srem-Sai, the Deputy Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, confirmed these investigations on Thursday, May 29, 2025.
According to the Deputy AG, these criminal investigations are running concurrently with efforts to recover assets, aiming to prevent the dissipation of suspected proceeds from crime.
Dr Srem-Sai also hinted at a second line of inquiry involving Chairman Wontumi’s alleged role in a broader international organised crime scheme, indicating that EOCO is collaborating closely with international law enforcement partners.
Chairman Wontumi has now spent three nights in custody due to his inability to meet the initial bail conditions.
He was granted bail in the sum of GH¢50 million with two sureties to be justified.
This requires him to present either bank statements or proof of title to landed properties equivalent to the bail bond value, assuring EOCO of his availability for investigations. If he fails to appear, the surety or sureties would forfeit the bail bond to the state.
Political support and concerns
On Friday, former Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia visited the National Intelligence Bureau (NIB) headquarters, where Chairman Wontumi is being held.
After spending over 30 minutes there, Dr. Bawumia urged supporters of the NPP to remain calm, emphasising that efforts were underway to meet the bail conditions.
Dr Bawumia described the GH¢50 million bail bond set by EOCO as exorbitant, suggesting it was intentionally imposed to keep Chairman Wontumi in custody indefinitely.
“Remain calm and don’t take the law into your own hands. We are following due process to make sure we execute the bail,” Dr Bawumia told supporters.
He was accompanied by the Minority Leader in Parliament, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, along with other Members of Parliament and NPP leaders.
VPO/EB
Meanwhile, here’s why Bright Simons has vowed to fight Ibrahim Mahama’s GH¢10 million defamation lawsuit