The Minister in Charge of Government Communications, Felix Kwakye Ofosu, has stated that President John Dramani Mahama has no authority to intervene in ongoing trials involving certain members of the previous ruling government, the New Patriotic Party (NPP).
According to him, the President can only exercise his powers after individuals have been found guilty by a court of law and sentenced.
In such cases, the President may choose to pardon them on humanitarian grounds but cannot interfere while the legal process is ongoing.
He also criticised the NPP and its supporters for accusing the ruling government of persecuting former officials of the party.
“President Mahama doesn’t have to give any approval for the ongoing trials. The President has no power to instruct security agencies not to hold people accountable when they are found to have broken the law.
“Maybe when someone is jailed, he can intervene on humanitarian grounds by granting a pardon. But as long as the legal process is ongoing, he cannot interfere, doing so would be a violation of the country’s laws. It is only a court that can determine guilt or innocence,” he said.
Ofosu Kwakye asserted that during the NPP administration, members of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) were also prosecuted, and the NDC did not attempt to obstruct justice.
Speaking in an interview on Oyerepa TV on June 2, 2025, he addressed the ongoing trial of the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the NPP, Bernard Antwi Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi.
He urged the NPP to respect due process rather than mobilizing party supporters to create chaos at the premises of state security institutions.
Kwakye Ofosu also cited past examples of NDC figures who faced legal proceedings without interference or political mobilization.
“When Ato Forson was invited for questioning, did anyone go there? When Dr Opuni, Collins Dauda, and Gyakye Quayson were invited, did people mobilize at those places?
“Due process was followed. We cannot accept a situation where people simply gather and make noise at a state facility and expect suspects to be released. That undermines the rule of law.”
He called on all political actors to respect the independence of state institutions and allow the justice system to function without interference or intimidation.
Chairman Wontumi was released by the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) on Monday, June 2, 2025, following his arrest on multiple charges.
His release came after meeting bail conditions with assistance from Bryan Acheampong, the former Minister for Food and Agriculture and Member of Parliament for Abetifi, who stood as one of his sureties.
A motion to appeal the GH¢50 million bail condition was withdrawn by his legal team on Monday, June 2.
The motion, initially filed on May 30 and scheduled for hearing on Tuesday, June 3, was retracted a day earlier.
On Wednesday, May 28, two additional sureties were added to fulfill the bail conditions.
His legal team, led by lawyer Andy Appiah-Kubi, confirmed that the full bail requirements were met by Friday, May 30.
However, his release was delayed because the bail review application had been filed without his express authorization.
On Thursday, May 29, members of the minority party demonstrated at EOCO headquarters and staged a walkout from Parliament, demanding Wontumi’s immediate release.
They argued that, given his public reputation and low flight risk, he should have been released on his own recognizance.
AM/AME