On May 27, 2025, Bernard Antwi Boasiako, widely known as Chairman Wontumi, the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), was arrested by the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) following a visit to the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) in Accra.
The arrest stems from allegations of illegal mining, financial misconduct involving a $55 million scandal with Akonta Mining, and environmental damage, including the poisoning of water bodies in Ghana. Wontumi’s legal troubles intensified after a search of his Kumasi residence by national security operatives on May 23, and the revocation of his company’s mining license, drawing significant public and political attention to the case.
Kennedy Agyapong Slams NPP, Lawyer Gives Crimes Details as Chairman Wontumi is Granted Bail by EOCO
Kennedy Agyapong, a prominent NPP figure and former MP for Assin Central, publicly expressed his disappointment with the party’s lack of unity amid Wontumi’s detention. Agyapong, who visited EOCO to support Wontumi on May 28, has been vocal about the need for fairness in the legal process, even offering to stand as a surety for Wontumi’s GH¢50 million bail, which requires two justified sureties.
However, a member of Agyapong’s own campaign team, Alex Kwaku Tetteh, confessed to tipping off authorities about Wontumi’s location, citing his duty as a citizen and leader of Citizen Eye Ghana, a transparency-focused NGO. This revelation has sparked debate within the NPP, with some praising Agyapong’s loyalty and others questioning the internal divisions exposed by Tetteh’s actions.
The situation has also drawn sharp criticism of EOCO’s handling of the case, with allegations of political bias surfacing. Wontumi’s arrest follows a pattern of scrutiny over his business dealings, including prior charges of unauthorized mining and entering forest reserves without permission. Supporters, including NPP National Organiser Henry Nana Boakye, have condemned the arrest as political harassment, arguing that the bail conditions are excessively harsh and designed to punish Wontumi. Meanwhile, public sentiment remains divided, with some Ghanaians on social media calling for accountability in addressing illegal mining, while others see the arrest as a targeted attack on a key opposition figure ahead of future elections.
New Patriotic Party (Minority) Stages Walkout from Parliament in Support of Akonta Mining Boss Chairman Wontumi
— EDHUB🌍ℹ (@eddie_wrt) May 29, 2025
On May 29, 2025, the Minority in Parliament, led by Alexander Afenyo-Markin, staged a dramatic walkout from parliamentary proceedings to protest Wontumi’s continued detention and the stringent bail conditions imposed by EOCO. Clad in black and red, the MPs marched to EOCO headquarters in Accra, where they staged a sit-in on the street, chanting lines from Ghana’s national anthem in defiance. Afenyo-Markin described EOCO’s actions as biased and vowed that the Minority would boycott parliamentary sittings until Wontumi’s bail terms are revised and he is released, highlighting growing tensions over the perceived politicization of state institutions in Ghana.
