Former Vice President and New Patriotic Party (NPP) flagbearer, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, has criticised the bail conditions imposed on Ashanti Regional NPP Chairman, Bernard Antwi Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, describing them as deliberately excessive and aimed at frustrating his timely release.
Addressing party supporters and the media at the National Intelligence Bureau (NIB) premises in Accra on Friday, May 30, Dr. Bawumia expressed serious concern over the GHS50 million bail bond with two justified sureties set by the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO), which remains unmet.
“The bail condition that has been set for Chairman Wontumi’s bail of 50 million is very onerous. I do not know how many people in Ghana have property worth GHS50 million. I believe this was just set to prevent his timely release,” Bawumia stated.
He further assured party faithfuls of his commitment to pursuing legal avenues to secure Wontumi’s release, while urging calm among supporters.
“We are going to follow the due and legal process to make sure that he is released as soon as possible. I want to plead with all of you to remain calm as we work behind the scenes to make sure that he is out, and I believe that we will be successful. We have to be calm and not take the laws into our own hands,” he added.
The former Vice President’s comments come amidst heightened political tension surrounding Wontumi’s arrest and continued detention.
Several NPP Members of Parliament, senior party executives, and supporters have been gathering at the NIB in a show of solidarity since his transfer from EOCO.
Chairman Wontumi was first arrested by the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service on Tuesday, May 27, and subsequently picked up by EOCO, which granted him bail the following day.
However, the strict conditions have prevented his release, drawing criticism from various quarters of the political spectrum.
The situation escalated on Thursday, May 29, when Minority Members of Parliament staged a protest march from Parliament to EOCO headquarters demanding Wontumi’s immediate release.
Meanwhile, Deputy Attorney General and Minister for Justice, Justice Srem-Sai, confirmed in a statement that Chairman Wontumi is under investigation for serious criminal charges, including fraud and money laundering.a
