Former Vice President and 2024 presidential candidate of the opposition New Patriotic Get together (NPP), Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, has strongly criticised the Financial and Organised Crime Workplace (EOCO), over what he describes as an “onerous” GH₵50 million bail situation imposed on NPP Ashanti Regional Chairman, Bernard Antwi-Boasiako, popularly often known as Chairman Wontumi.
Chairman Wontumi was arrested by EOCO on Tuesday, 27 Might and has remained in custody since.
Though he was granted bail within the sum of GH₵50 million with two sureties, each to be justified, he has thus far been unable to fulfill the situations for his launch.
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The incident has triggered important political stress. A number of NPP supporters, together with senior occasion leaders, have thronged each EOCO’s headquarters and the workplaces of the Nationwide Intelligence Bureau (NIB) in protest.
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On Friday, 30 Might, Dr Bawumia, accompanied by Minority Chief Alexander Afenyo-Markin, visited the NIB in an effort to facilitate Wontumi’s launch. Nonetheless, the try proved unsuccessful.
Talking to the media, Dr Bawumia expressed his disappointment at not being allowed entry to Wontumi regardless of prior preparations:
Sadly, we’re right here on the NIB, and EOCO really feel that the gang is such that they’re unable to carry him right here in the intervening time. They’ve indicated they need to make correct preparations earlier than we are able to see him. We’re very, very disillusioned, particularly as we had made prior preparations.
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Dr Bawumia went on to sentence the bail situations, suggesting they have been intentionally set to delay Wontumi’s launch:
I need to placed on report that the bail situations set for Chairman Wontumi, GH₵50 million with two justified sureties, are extraordinarily onerous. I doubt many individuals in Ghana have property price GH₵50 million. It seems this was meant merely to stop his well timed launch. Nonetheless, we are going to observe the due authorized course of to make sure his launch as quickly as attainable.
The previous Vice President additionally appealed for calm amongst occasion supporters, urging them to chorus from any actions which may escalate the scenario.
Expenses In opposition to Chairman Wontumi
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Chairman Wontumi is at the moment under investigation for a number of prison offences, together with fraud, cash laundering, and inflicting monetary loss to the state.
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In accordance with Deputy Lawyer Basic Justice Srem-Sai, the investigation is being carried out in parallel with asset restoration processes geared toward stopping the dissipation of property suspected to be proceeds of crime.
Moreover, Wontumi is believed to be linked to a broader worldwide organised crime community. EOCO is reportedly collaborating with worldwide regulation enforcement businesses to pursue this line of investigation.
