EOCO Bosses Snub Minority …As They Protest GHC 50 Million Wontumi Bail Term

The Minority in Parliament marched in the scorching sun for about 4 kilometers, sat on the black and hot asphalt road, chanted patriotic songs, punched clenched fists skywards while wagging their fore-fingers and gave eloquent speeches on human rights violations but none of these done in protest of the bail conditions for Chairman Wontumi could get the heads of the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) or even a junior staff to blink or give them a listening ear even as a pretentious gesture of courtesy.

The EOCO heads simply ignored the Members of Parliament from the Minority Caucus who had assembled at the gates of the Organization’s headquarters in Accra, demanding through a dramatic protest that the bail conditions set for the release of New Patriotic Party (NPP) Chairman for the Ashanti Region, Bernard Antwi Boasiako, alias Chairman Wontumi was outrageous and should be reduced.

Not a fly from EOCO came out to either listen to the protesters and address their concerns or speak to the media present. The officials did not even bother to offer a ‘no comment’ comment. They simply remained defiant with zipped lips and completely ignored both the protestors and the protest as though nothing was happening outside their walled office guarded by fully armed men in uniform.

After sunset, the Minority MPs called it a day and left with a promise to return the next day. They had done some five or more hours of protests that had attracted a sizeable crowd and the attention of the nation. It was a protest aired live on about 6 television stations with nationwide coverage and several other radio stations.

The Minority Leader, Osahen Alexander Afenyo-Markin spoke with journalists present:

“Do you think it is right for a ma to be treated the way he is being treated, A Ghanaian citizen you claim you are investigating him, he goes to the CID Headquarters, he walks in freely himself, Police grants him self-recognizance bail, while he is walking out of the Police Headquarters, he is arrested in a Rambo-style, you interrogate him, your next thing is to say he should go and bring a titled property worth GHC 50 million with two sureties all to be justified.

Afenyo-Markin continued: “Have they looked at the Constitution? They should vary the bail terms, the man is unwell and he is in their custody. They know so they should vary. Wontumi would not run anywhere so they should vary the bail terms. And I am telling my friends in the NDC  4 years would soon come and if they think what they are doing is right, they should watch it. Treat others the way you expect them to treat you. So if you keep Wontumi for over 48 hours, are they using bail conditions to punish him? We are here and we are protesting. We expect him to do the right thing. Wontumi did not run away.  He came all the way from Kumasi and reported himself to the Police. They should use the time to govern and not to oppress opponents”, the Minority Leader added.

Just before dust could settle on the drama-laced protest by the Minority, the deputy Attorney-General and Minister for Justice, Mr. Justice Srem-Sai, took to his Facebook wall to share information on reasons Chairman Wontumi is being held by EOCO:

“Suspect BERNARD ANTWI BOASIAKO, a.k.a. Chairman Wontumi, is under investigation for various criminal offences (including fraud, causing financial loss to the State, and money laundering).

“The criminal investigation is running concurrently with asset recovery processes – to prevent further dissipation of what law enforcement agencies strongly suspect to be proceeds of crime.

“The suspect is also under a second strand of investigation which is part of a lager international organised crime scheme. The Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) is assiduously working with our international law enforcement partners on this second strand of criminal investigations”, Justice Srem-Sai noted,