By Issah Olegor
The opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) is raising alarm over what it describes as a dramatic and heavy-handed arrest of its Ashanti Regional Chairman, Bernard Antwi-Boasiako, also known as Chairman Wontumi, by operatives of the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO).
The party has slammed the action as politically motivated and an abuse of state power, warning that such tactics could erode public trust in the country’s democratic and judicial institutions.
Chairman Wontumi was re-arrested on Tuesday, May 27, moments after concluding an engagement with the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service in Accra, where he had turned himself in to assist with ongoing investigations into alleged illegal mining activities.
According to the NPP, EOCO operatives, with assistance from the National Intelligence Bureau (NIB), stormed the area in what the party described as a “Rambo-style” operation, whisking him away without prior notice or warrant.
NPP Condemns Arrest, Demands Due Process
Speaking on Joy FM’s Top Story, NPP General Secretary Justin Frimpong Kodua condemned the arrest, saying it was both unnecessary and deliberately provocative.
“This is a person who respected the invitation of the police and voluntarily reported to the CID. If EOCO had any interest in speaking to him, why not follow the same lawful and civil approach?” Kodua asked.
“Instead, what we saw was a show of force and intimidation that sends the wrong signals about how state institutions are being used.”
Justin Kodua cautioned that the state must uphold the rule of law and procedural fairness, especially when dealing with high-profile individuals.
He also referenced President John Mahama’s inaugural pledge to be “a father for all,” questioning whether recent events aligned with that promise.
“For the sanctity of our democracy, this kind of drama is not needed. We must not use institutions to settle political scores,” he added.
Mining and Financial Allegations
Chairman Wontumi is under investigation for his alleged involvement in illegal mining, commonly referred to as galamsey.
The CID’s invitation focused on three key accusations: mining without a license, pollution of water bodies, and operating within a forest reserve without proper authorization.
Chairman Wontumi, through his company Akonta Mining Ltd, has denied the claims, maintaining that his operations have always been lawful and properly documented.
However, the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources recently revoked the company’s mining lease, citing violations.
The revocation is now being challenged in court by Wontumi’s legal team.
Adding to the controversy is a resurfaced financial allegation involving a GH₵50 million payment from COCOBOD to Wontumi’s construction firm, Hallmark Engineering.
Critics argue that the disbursement, made during the final days of the Akufo-Addo administration, was questionable. Wontumi insists the payment was a legitimate settlement for completed road works and that it was delayed for three years.
This is not the first time Wontumi has found himself in conflict with a Mahama-led administration. In 2013, during Mahama’s first term, over 500 pieces of heavy mining equipment allegedly linked to Wontumi’s companies were seized and destroyed during a government crackdown on illegal mining. Wontumi described the incident as economic sabotage aimed at silencing him.
Since then, he has emerged as one of the NPP’s most vocal and influential figures, particularly in the Ashanti Region, a key political base for the party. His criticism of the current administration has grown more intense following Mahama’s return to power, making him a target of political scrutiny.
Legal and Political Ramifications
Wontumi’s legal team, led by former Attorney General Godfred Yeboah Dame, has expressed readiness to challenge what they describe as a “coordinated effort” to criminalize their client. “There is no basis for this kind of treatment. He is not a flight risk, and he has cooperated fully with law enforcement,” one of his lawyers said.
The NPP has vowed to pursue all legal and political avenues to defend its regional chairman and is calling on civil society groups, legal experts, and the diplomatic community to take note of what it terms “creeping authoritarianism” in the conduct of state institutions.
