The lawyer of embattled Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Bernard Antwi Boasiako (Chairman Wontumi), has refuted assertions that his client was arrested by the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) in a ‘rambo style’.
Speaking in an interview with Oyerepa TV/FM on Friday, May 30, 2025, lawyer Andy Kwame Appiah-Kubi said a warrant was issued for Wontumi’s arrest by EOCO.
He indicated that if there is anything wrong with his client’s arrest, it is the law that establishes EOCO.
“Let me explain, the type of arrest they made was an arrest under warrant. So, there was an arrest warrant for Chairman Wontumi… So, if there is anything wrong, it should be the law itself and not the approach.”
“The law states that EOCO, as an entity, has the same powers as the police — that is, the EOCO Act. So, their work is just like that of the police and includes them arresting upon warrant,” he explained in the Twi dialect.
He added, “But the issue with the law is that the warrant should be granted by the court, not by EOCO itself. So, the default in the law is EOCO itself having the power to issue warrants. Because if the law were such that the court was supposed to issue the warrant to EOCO, the justification for issuing the warrant would be determined in the court, but with this law, they can decide whether or not to arrest under warrant,” he said.
He also explained that because there was a warrant for Wontumi’s arrest, his continued detention by EOCO after 48 hours was not illegal.
“Because he was arrested under warrant, the 48-hour rule under the Criminal Procedure Code does not apply,” he said.
He added that the rule in the criminal code for a suspect to be released after 48 hours only applies to arrests without warrants.
Lawyer Appiah-Kubi said that his team is working to file proceedings in court to get Wontumi’s bail conditions reduced so they can meet them.
Chairman Wontumi was arrested and detained by EOCO after reporting to the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service on Tuesday, May 27, 2025.
He was granted bail set at GH¢50 million with two sureties, both to be justified, after hours of interrogation.
Initial reports indicated that he was unable to meet the bail conditions, resulting in an extended stay in EOCO custody for an additional night.
However, Accra-based JoyNews reports that the politician has, on Thursday, May 29, 2025, managed to secure one surety, with only one remaining to fully satisfy the bail requirements.
The Deputy Attorney General and Minister for Justice, Justice Srem Sai, has disclosed that Chairman Wontumi is under investigation for multiple criminal offences.
These include fraud, causing financial loss to the State, and money laundering.
In a statement posted on social media on Thursday, May 29, 2025, Justice Srem Sai revealed that Wontumi, who has been in the custody of the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) since Tuesday, is also implicated in a second strand of investigation linked to a broader international organised crime scheme.
The Deputy Attorney General emphasised that EOCO is collaborating closely with international law enforcement partners to probe this complex network of alleged criminal activities.
GhanaWeb
