Deputy Attorney General and Minister for Justice, Justice Srem-Sai, has confirmed that Bernard Antwi Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, is under investigation for a series of serious criminal offences, including fraud, causing financial loss to the state, and money laundering.
According to Srem-Sai, the ongoing criminal investigation is running concurrently with asset recovery efforts to prevent the suspected proceeds of crime from being dissipated.
He also gave a hint of a second strand of investigations involving Chairman Wontumi’s alleged role in a larger international organised crime scheme.
The Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) is said to be working closely with international law enforcement partners in this regard, he indicated.
The revelations come at a time of heightened political tension, with the NPP Minority in Parliament accusing President John Mahama of politically targeting Wontumi under the guise of criminal investigations.
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).
— Justice Srem-Sai (@JusticeSremSai) May 29, 2025
The criminal investigation is running concurrently with asset recovery processes - to…
The Minority MPs on Thursday, May 29, 2025, staged a walkout from Parliament and marched to the office of the Economic Crime and Organised Office (EOCO) to protest Chairman Wontumi’s detention.
Upon arriving at the office of EOCO, the Minority MPs sat on the street in front of EOCO’s office for minutes to protest the detention of the Ashanti Regional NPP Chairman, Chairman Wontumi, and what they call the “unfair” bail conditions.
The Minority Leader questioned the fairness of the bail conditions, describing them as excessive and unrealistic. “We don’t have GHS50 million worth of properties. Where is he going to get it from?” he asked.
Afenyo-Markin vowed continued solidarity with Wontumi, declaring, “Until EOCO does the right thing, we on the NPP side will protest by absenting ourselves from Parliament and joining him. We are all going to sleep there with him.”
He emphasized that the walkout was not intended to obstruct justice but to demand fairness and consistency in the treatment of citizens under the law. “I pray that my colleagues will support this so that with one voice, EOCO will know that when it got to this matter of Chairman Wontumi, Parliament was united,” he concluded.