Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Bernard Antwi Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, spent the night in the custody of the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) after failing to meet the bail conditions set for his release.
Wontumi is under investigation by EOCO over alleged financial transactions involving the Ghana Export-Import (EXIM) Bank.
He was granted bail on Wednesday, May 28, 2025, in the sum of GH₵50 million with two sureties to be justified. However, his legal team had not fully satisfied the conditions required to secure his release by the end of the day.
Wontumi’s lead counsel, Andy Appiah-Kubi, expressed optimism that the bail conditions would be met soon. “We are confident that all necessary requirements will be fulfilled,” he stated.
Wontumi was detained following a lengthy interrogation at EOCO’s headquarters in Accra on Tuesday, May 27. During the process, he reportedly fell ill and was briefly hospitalized.
His arrest sparked protests from NPP supporters and party figures, including NPP National Organiser Henry Nana Boakye and former Greater Accra Regional Minister Titus Glover.
The tense atmosphere led to the deployment of military personnel to EOCO’s premises to maintain security and prevent any escalation.
Former Assin Central MP Kennedy Agyapong has offered himself as one of the sureties for Wontumi—a move confirmed by NPP’s Tema West Chairman, Kwesi Opoku.