Bernard Antwi Boasiako, widely known as Chairman Wontumi, was rushed to a medical facility on Tuesday, 27 May, after reportedly falling ill during an interrogation session with the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) in Accra.
The Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) was said to have taken ill while responding to allegations put forward by investigators. The exact nature of his illness remains undisclosed.
Speaking to journalists outside EOCO’s offices late Tuesday evening, Mr Wontumi’s lawyer, Andy Appiah-Kubi, a former Member of Parliament for Asante-Akim North, confirmed the sudden health scare but withheld the location of the hospital.
“I know where he is but I am not going to disclose the hospital,” Appiah-Kubi stated. “All I can say is that my client has been taken to the hospital for medical treatment.”
Mr Wontumi had been engaged in an ongoing inquiry with EOCO, with investigators yet to complete their questioning. According to his legal team, the process will resume once doctors give clearance.
“We haven’t finished with the interrogation,” Mr Appiah-Kubi explained. “We will come back to continue, hopefully, if his condition improves. Otherwise, he’ll stay there until he’s discharged.”
In a related development, Mr Appiah-Kubi also confirmed that his client had received a writ of summons from Exim Bank, though he did not elaborate on the details of the suit. “We are going to respond to the pleadings tomorrow. I am very hopeful that we will be able to mount a defence of the writ,” he added.
The EOCO probe and the legal action by Exim Bank have placed Mr Wontumi under significant public scrutiny, though the precise details of both matters remain largely confidential.
Mr Wontumi, a prominent figure in Ghana’s political landscape, has not issued a public statement since being hospitalised.
