The Minority Leader in Parliament, Alexander Afenyo-Markin has made a fervent appeal to the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) to release New Patriotic Party (NPP) Ashanti Regional Chairman, Bernard Antwi Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, on self-recognisance bail.
Leading a delegation of Minority MPs to EOCO in solidarity with Wontumi, Afenyo-Markin expressed strong reservations about the manner of Wontumi’s arrest and the bail conditions imposed by EOCO.
“Wontumi must be freed now. He is not going to run away. He will make himself available. He should be admitted to self-recognisance bail,” he asserted.
Afenyo-Markin described the bail conditions, which require two sureties and a total sum of GHS50 million, as “unreasonable and outrageous”. “That so-called GHS50 million bail justification is unreasonable and outrageous,” he said.
The Minority Leader also criticized the approach taken by law enforcement in effecting Wontumi’s arrest, likening it to a military-style operation.
“That man was not invited. They used ‘Rambo style’ to arrest him, and you take him into custody,” he said.
Wontumi has been in EOCO custody since May 27 following his arrest in connection with ongoing investigations into alleged financial irregularities involving EXIMBANK.