The Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Bernard Antwi Boasiako, widely known as Chairman Wontumi, is expected to appear before the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service today, Monday, May 26, following a dramatic standoff at his residence last Friday.
A failed attempt by a combined team of National Security and police officers to arrest Chairman Wontumi sparked outrage among party supporters, who quickly massed outside his home in Kumasi. The protest grew in intensity, with demonstrators accusing the authorities of heavy-handedness and political intimidation.
While the reasons behind the attempted arrest remain unclear, Wontumi is said to have assured officers he would cooperate fully and report to the CID voluntarily.
His lawyer, Kwame Adom Appiah, reaffirmed their readiness to comply with the police invitation.
“We are practicing democracy. Wontumi is not someone who can hide from the cameras… He’s not running. If you want him any time or day, you are going to get him, we have not done anything criminal, and we are not afraid.” Appiah stated.
The incident has fuelled political tension, with some within the NPP accusing the state of attempting to silence prominent figures within the party. However, Deputy Interior Minister Ebenezer Okletey Terlabi dismissed such claims, stating that the National Investigations Bureau (NIB) acted lawfully and with cause.
“The National Security will not go to Wontumi’s house without a reason. They went there with a reason,” Terlabi said on Citi FM. “Let us allow the security personnel to do their job… What we need in this country is peace.”
Responding to claims by Wontumi that the operation amounted to harassment, Terlabi was blunt.
“He is just playing the victim. Nobody wants to kill Wontumi… If you are to go and catch a wild dog, you do not go there without arming yourself,” he remarked.
As Ghanaians await the outcome of today’s meeting with the CID, the incident has ignited broader conversations about the balance between state power, political expression, and due process in a tense pre-election atmosphere.
