Deputy Attorney General and Minister for Justice, Justice Srem-Sai, has confirmed that Bernard Antwi Boasiako, “Chairman Wontumi”, is currently under investigation for a series of serious criminal offences, including fraud, causing financial loss to the state, and money laundering.
In a statement on his official X (formerly Twitter) account, Justice Srem-Sai disclosed that the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) handles the ongoing investigation. Asset recovery efforts aimed at securing suspected proceeds of crime are already underway.
“Suspect BERNARD ANTWI BOASIAKO, a.k.a. Chairman Wontumi, is under investigation for various criminal offences (including fraud, causing financial loss to the State, and money laundering),” the Deputy Attorney General stated.
He added that the criminal investigation is running concurrently with asset recovery proceedings “to prevent further dissipation of what law enforcement agencies strongly suspect to be proceeds of crime.”
The Deputy Attorney General further revealed that a second, more complex strand of investigation is also ongoing. This, he explained, is linked to a larger international organised crime network. According to him, EOCO is collaborating with global law enforcement partners to uncover the full scope of Wontumi’s alleged involvement.
“The suspect is also under a second strand of investigation, which is part of a larger international organised crime scheme. The Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) is assiduously working with our international law enforcement partners on this second strand of criminal investigations,” he added.
This latest development comes as the NPP Minority in Parliament alleges political persecution and accuses President John Mahama of targeting Wontumi for partisan reasons.
Chairman Wontumi, who serves as the NPP’s Ashanti Regional Chairman, is a prominent figure within the party and a key player in its campaign machinery.
While EOCO has yet to comment officially on the investigation, the Deputy Attorney General’s statement marks the most direct public confirmation to date of the seriousness and scale of the allegations against the NPP stalwart.
On Thursday, there was a dramatic show of political protest as Members of Parliament from the Minority Caucus staged a sit-in outside EOCO’s headquarters in Accra, demanding Chairman Wontumi’s release.
The MPs marched from Parliament and occupied sections of the street directly in front of EOCO’s Accra Central office, drawing significant public attention. The protest, marked by chants and calls for justice, disrupted traffic and drew a heavy police presence.
The Minority MPs, led by Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin, decried what they described as political persecution and the weaponisation of state institutions against government opponents.
The sit-in follows Wontumi’s continued detention by EOCO after failing to meet the conditions of a GH₵50 million bail granted on Wednesday, 28 May.
Wontumi was arrested on Tuesday, 27 May, following a summons by the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service. He is being investigated over alleged financial irregularities involving the Ghana Export-Import Bank (EXIMBANK).
Although EOCO has granted him bail, the conditions requiring two sureties to be justified have not yet been fulfilled.
NPP National Organiser Henry Nana Boakye condemned what he described as the “increasing politicisation of EOCO”.
The protest has further inflamed an already tense political climate, with many observers interpreting the Minority’s action as a rare and forceful show of solidarity. EOCO, however, has remained silent on the details of the ongoing investigation.
Sources close to the case have hinted that the probe involves complex financial transactions linked to state funds and mining interests.
The Minority MPs, led by Afenyo-Markin, insisted their protest was not merely an expression of sympathy but a stand against what they viewed as the unjust and excessive treatment of Wontumi, who has been in EOCO custody since 27 May.
Speaking ahead of Thursday’s march in Parliament, Afenyo-Markin called on EOCO to uphold the principles of fairness and legality in its investigations.
“Do your work but respect the law,” he said. “There are many people who have appeared before investigative agencies, and they are treated with respect. They go, cooperate, and when it is time to go to court, they do. But the way we are treating ourselves now, it will come back to haunt us in 2029. Let’s be careful.”
“We don’t have GH₵50 million worth of properties. Where is he going to get it from?” Afenyo-Markin asked, reaffirming the Minority’s intention to continue their protest.
“Until EOCO is able to do the right thing, we, the NPP side, however few our numbers, will protest by absenting ourselves from Parliament and join him. We are all going to sleep there with him. We are not going to ask for any property,” he stated.
He further appealed for bipartisan support, urging all MPs to unite and hold EOCO accountable.
“I pray that my colleagues will support so that with one voice EOCO will know that when it got to this matter of Chairman Wontumi, Parliament was united,” he added.
Afenyo-Markin described the GH₵50 million bail condition as excessive and unjustifiable. He questioned the rationale for requiring a citizen to provide such assets before being granted bail, especially given Wontumi’s cooperation with law enforcement.
“He was arrested in a Rambo-style… You interrogate him, he makes himself available, and your next thing is: ‘go and bring titled 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 it. Wontumi will not run away.”
The Minority Leader also issued a caution to the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC), urging introspection.
“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 for political purposes.
“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 these bail conditions just so that he will struggle to meet them, and then you can keep him behind bars.”
He warned that the State was setting a dangerous precedent by using what he described as “the coercive power of the State” to intimidate political opponents.
“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 alias Nana B, raised concerns about Wontumi’s 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 the 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, it’s been 48 hours, and they are telling us that they don’t know his whereabouts.”
The Minority caucus, together with NPP supporters, has continued protesting at EOCO’s premises, demanding a review of the bail conditions and the immediate release of Chairman Wontumi, who has now spent over 48 hours in custody.
Although they initially vowed to remain until Wontumi’s release, the protestors eventually dispersed shortly after 6:00 p.m.
