EOCO Clarifies Tema Visit to Wontumi’s Property Was for Valuation, Not Ransacking

The Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) has clarified that its visit to the Tema property of former NPP Ashanti Regional Chairman Bernard Antwi Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, was for valuation purposes and not a ransacking operation.

The clarification comes after Wontumi’s spokesperson, Palgrave Boakye Danquah, alleged that EOCO officers had raided the residence on Monday, November 9, leaving the family distressed. According to the spokesperson, armed men arrived at the property and spent about 45 minutes there, telling the family they had been sent to check the properties Wontumi owns.

EOCO’s explanation seeks to set the record straight, stating that the exercise was a valuation of the property rather than a search or raid. The distinction is significant, as a valuation exercise is typically carried out in relation to asset assessment, often in connection with ongoing investigations or legal proceedings.

The clarification comes amid Wontumi’s multiple legal battles. He is currently serving a 20-year prison sentence after being convicted in July 2026 for facilitating illegal mining at Samreboi in the Western Region, and has filed an appeal. EOCO has also applied to the High Court for the confiscation of assets linked to Wontumi and companies associated with him, including the Akonta Mining Limited concession and GH¢50 million invested in Treasury Bills through Paradise Insurance Limited.

EOCO alleges in that application that the assets were acquired using proceeds of crime, a claim Wontumi’s legal team is expected to contest. The valuation visit is therefore likely connected to the asset confiscation proceedings, as EOCO seeks to establish the value of properties linked to the case.

The clarification from EOCO is expected to ease some of the tension surrounding the incident, though questions may remain about how the exercise was conducted and how the family was informed. The spokesperson’s account of armed men and a 45-minute visit had raised concerns about the treatment of Wontumi’s family, particularly his children and their grandmother, who were reportedly at home at the time.

As the asset confiscation case proceeds, EOCO’s valuation of Wontumi’s properties will form part of the broader legal process. The office’s clarification that the visit was for valuation rather than ransacking seeks to reassure the public that its actions were procedurally grounded, even as the family continues to express distress over the incident.

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