In an unusual show of political defiance, members of Ghana’s parliamentary opposition staged a sit-in on a central Accra street Thursday, demanding the release of a senior figure in the ruling party who remains in custody amid a widening financial investigation.
Minority lawmakers, led by Alexander Afenyo-Markin, assembled outside the headquarters of the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO), where Bernard Antwi Boasiako—known widely as Chairman Wontumi—is being held. Mr. Boasiako is the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), the dominant force in Ghana’s governing coalition.
The protest followed a march from Parliament to the EOCO offices, blocking a key artery in the capital and prompting a significant police presence. Chanting and waving placards, the MPs accused the investigative body of acting as a political weapon, alleging that Mr. Boasiako’s detention was the latest example of the state targeting opposition voices and figures within its own ranks who fall out of favor.
EOCO, a government agency tasked with probing economic and organized crimes, detained Mr. Boasiako on Tuesday after a summons from the Ghana Police Service’s Criminal Investigations Department. He is being investigated in connection with alleged financial improprieties involving the Ghana Export-Import Bank (EXIM Bank), according to officials familiar with the matter.
Though EOCO approved a bail package on Wednesday—set at GHS 50 million (approximately $3.8 million)—Mr. Boasiako remained in custody as of Thursday afternoon, pending the satisfaction of the bail conditions, which include two justifiable sureties.
The nature of the investigation remains largely undisclosed. However, individuals close to the case suggest it centers on intricate financial transactions involving state resources and potential links to Ghana’s lucrative mining sector. EOCO has so far declined to comment publicly on the probe.
“This is a clear case of political persecution,” Mr. Afenyo-Markin said outside the EOCO gates. “The state is being used to intimidate political opponents. We will not sit back and watch democratic institutions being manipulated.”
Henry Nana Boakye, the NPP’s national organizer, also condemned what he called the “growing politicization of EOCO,” warning that the agency’s perceived partisanship risks undermining public trust in law enforcement and anti-corruption efforts.
The protest underscores the escalating political tensions in Ghana ahead of general elections scheduled for next year. Analysts say the opposition’s decision to rally behind a senior figure from the ruling party may reflect broader fears about the erosion of due process and institutional independence.
As Mr. Boasiako’s legal team scrambles to fulfill the bail conditions, the standoff has become a flashpoint in Ghana’s ongoing debate over governance, accountability, and the balance of power between political authority and the rule of law.
Source:TheDotNews