A private legal practitioner has taken aim at the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) over its handling of the ongoing case involving the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Bernard Antwi-Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi.
Lawyer Martin Kpebu, speaking on ‘The KeyPoints’ on Friday, said EOCO’s lack of transparency around the arrest and bail conditions of the outspoken party chairman has created confusion and room for political speculation.
“By now, EOCO should have told us why Wontumi is being charged,” Kpebu remarked. “Raymond Archer is a journalist; he should know that lack of information in a case like this is not good. EOCO has not handled the process well.”
Wontumi, a prominent figure in the NPP party, was recently taken in by EOCO over alleged dealings with EXIM Bank. But beyond confirming that investigations are ongoing, the anti-graft agency has yet to publicly disclose details of the case, a silence that has drawn backlash from political actors and legal minds alike.
A member of Wontumi’s legal team, Kwame Appiah-Kubi, said EOCO has only “preferred some allegations” and that further interrogation has been postponed due to Wontumi’s health.
“They laid charges on the relationship between himself and EXIM Bank,” Appiah-Kubi stated. “We have also received a writ of summons from EXIM Bank and we will respond tomorrow.”
EOCO’s failure to outline specific charges has fueled accusations that the bail conditions imposed on Wontumi are excessive and politically motivated, a sentiment echoed by some within the NPP, including former Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia.
But Mr Kpebu dismissed the focus on bail conditions as misplaced.
“I heard the former Vice President, Dr Bawumia, crying that the bail condition is too much. I think he got the wrong advice,” Kpebu said. “He should rather be asking for what he is being charged for.”
As public interest grows in the high-profile case, pressure is mounting on EOCO to provide clarity.
