A private legal practitioner, Martin Kpebu, has criticized the Economic and Organized Crime Office (EOCO) for its handling of the case involving the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Chairman Wontumi.
Chairman Wontumi was arrested by EOCO on May 27, but the reasons for his arrest were not disclosed at the time. Later, his lawyer, Andy Appiah-Kubi, informed journalists outside EOCO that his client had been charged with causing financial loss to the state.
Mr Kpebu stated that EOCO’s failure to provide information regarding Wontumi’s arrest has led to claims from individuals associated with the NPP that the bail conditions are punitive. “By now, EOCO should have informed us why Wontumi is being charged. Raymond Archer is a journalist; he should know that a lack of information in a case like this is not good. Therefore, I would say that EOCO has not managed the process well,” Mr. Kpebu said during an appearance on TV3’s KeyPoints on May 31.
He pointed out that bail terms are typically based on the amount of money involved in the investigation. Mr. Kpebu urged those complaining about the bail amount to seek clarification on the facts of the case, which may indicate that the amount is not excessive after all. “I heard the former Vice President, Dr. Bawumia, express concern that the bail condition is too high. I believe he received poor advice. He should instead be questioning what he is being charged with,” Mr. Kpebu added.
In the absence of detailed information about the investigation, Deputy Attorney-General Dr Srem Sai has revealed that Chairman Wontumi is being investigated for money laundering and causing financial loss to the state, among other charges. This information was shared in a post on his Facebook page on May 29.
“Suspect BERNARD ANTWI BOASIAKO, also known as Chairman Wontumi, is under investigation for various criminal offenses, including fraud, causing financial loss to the state, and money laundering,” he wrote. Dr. Srem Sai further stated, “The criminal investigation is running concurrently with asset recovery processes to prevent further dissipation of what law enforcement agencies suspect to be proceeds of crime. The suspect is also the subject of a second strand of investigation, which is part of a larger international organized crime scheme. The Economic and Organized Crime Office (EOCO) is diligently working with our international law enforcement partners on this second strand of criminal investigations.”