Deputy Attorney General has confirmed that Bernard Antwi Boasiako, a senior official in the New Patriotic Party (NPP) widely known as Chairman Wontumi, is the subject of a sweeping criminal investigation involving allegations of fraud, money laundering, and causing financial loss to the state.
In a public statement issued Thursday via his official X (formerly Twitter) account, Deputy Attorney General and Justice Minister Justice Srem-Sai disclosed that the case is being handled by the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO), which is also pursuing asset recovery efforts to secure what authorities believe are proceeds of crime.
“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,” Mr. Srem-Sai stated, marking the most direct confirmation yet of the serious legal jeopardy facing the influential political figure.
The Deputy Attorney General added that the EOCO-led investigation has two distinct tracks: a domestic criminal probe, and a parallel investigation tied to what he described as a broader international organized crime scheme. EOCO is reportedly working in conjunction with global law enforcement agencies on the latter.
“The suspect is also under a second strand of investigation which is part of a larger international organised crime scheme,” he noted. “EOCO is working with our international law enforcement partners on this second strand.”
Mr. Boasiako, who serves as the NPP’s Ashanti Regional Chairman, was arrested earlier this week following a summons by the Ghana Police Service’s Criminal Investigations Department. While EOCO granted him bail on Wednesday—set at GHS 50 million (approximately $3.8 million)—he remains in custody, pending fulfillment of the bail’s stringent conditions.
His arrest has inflamed political tensions in the West African nation. Members of the NPP’s parliamentary minority have denounced the investigation as politically motivated, accusing President John Mahama’s administration of using law enforcement to target political opponents.
“This is nothing short of persecution,” said a senior NPP lawmaker, adding that the case against Wontumi threatens to undermine public faith in Ghana’s legal system.
A highly visible and often controversial figure in Ghanaian politics, Mr. Boasiako has long been a key operative in the NPP’s electioneering machinery. His detainment and the high-profile nature of the probe have drawn widespread public attention and prompted protests outside EOCO headquarters in Accra earlier this week.
EOCO has so far declined to comment on the details of the case. However, sources familiar with the investigation suggest it may involve transactions linked to state-owned financial institutions and mining interests.
Source:TheDotNews