The Member of Parliament for the South Dayi constituency, Rockson Dafeamekpor, has commented on the arrest of Ashanti Regional Chairman of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP), Bernard Antwi-Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi.
According to the MP, Wontumi has long been on the radar for possible prosecution.
While some within the opposition have described the arrest as politically motivated and an act of persecution, the legislator disagreed with that narrative.
He explained that numerous petitions had previously been filed calling for Wontumi to be prosecuted over alleged criminal acts.
Mr. Dafeamekpor stated that during the administration of former President Nana Akufo-Addo, several civil society organizations petitioned the presidency, urging the prosecution of the NPP chairman for alleged involvement in illegal mining within forest reserves and water bodies—an act deemed unlawful.
However, he said those petitions were ignored, and the then-President openly defended Wontumi’s actions, which the MP described as disastrous to human survival.
He questioned whether those civil society organizations were affiliated with the National Democratic Congress.
“As far back as 2022, CSOs in this country called for his criminal prosecution. He and perhaps others, I am not certain, are the controlling minds behind Akonta Mines, and Akonta Mining had been established beyond doubt to have engaged in illegal mining.
“So, CSOs, not NDC, not NPP, private Citizens in this country called for his prosecution, that call was ignored by the Attorney General. The initial call was sometime in 2022, it got to the crescendo in October 2022. It was ignored.”
Rockson Dafeamekpor
He further explained that after being ignored, the civil society organizations renewed their call in January 2023 by filing another petition. This time, it was accompanied by a formal request for the criminal prosecution of Akonta Mines and the individuals behind its operations.
Mr. Dafeamekpor disclosed that before any action could be taken on the second petition, then-President Nana Akufo-Addo publicly defended Akonta Mines at an event, stating that the company had not engaged in illegal mining. As a result, that petition was also set aside.
According to him, crime does not expire, but leadership changes over time. The failure of one administration to prosecute Chairman Wontumi does not imply he was cleared or made immune from future prosecution if valid grounds exist.
“You see, crime does not rot, so if the state failed to act yesterday, the state itself is obligated under law to act today. Because the persons who exercise the executive powers of the state change.”
Rockson Dafeamekpor
In addition, the petitions did not stop there, as private legal practitioner Martin Kpebu and others are documented to have filed a third petition calling for the prosecution of the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the NPP over the same allegations of illegal mining, commonly known as galamsey.
The legislator went on to justify Wontumi’s arrest, stating that it had been long anticipated, given the numerous calls from civil society organizations and private individuals demanding his arrest and prosecution.
According to him, it was only a matter of time before those demands were acted upon.
New Charges Deepen Wontumi’s Legal Trouble
The Member of Parliament clarified that the key difference between the past and present is that Wontumi is now facing charges that include money laundering, causing financial loss to the state, and fraud.
According to him, this new layer of allegations has significantly intensified public interest and drawn attention from both citizens and the international community.
He also hinted that the Financial Intelligence Centre is in the process of compiling a docket of charges against Chairman Wontumi, as some of the alleged offenses have international connections that extend beyond the country’s jurisdiction.
“I am even informed that the FIC is also preparing its own docket. So this is not the first time an accused person and at this stage a suspect is investigated in respect to suspected offenses that he has committed contemporaneously”.
Rockson Dafeamekpor
He went on to emphasize that claims suggesting Mr. Wontumi is being targeted by the ruling National Democratic Congress are merely tactics intended to deflect attention from the serious allegations levelled against the chairman.
Currently, the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the opposition New Patriotic Party remains in the custody of the Economic and Organized Crime Office (EOCO) in Accra, assisting with ongoing investigations.
Although he was granted bail set at GHS 50 million—which reportedly took some time to satisfy—his lawyer informed the media that a court petition challenging the manner of his arrest is the reason EOCO has yet to release him, despite fulfilling the bail conditions.
It remains to be seen how the legal petition will unfold and what the eventual outcome will be for Chairman Wontumi. Whether it takes days, months, or even years, the developments ahead will ultimately answer those lingering questions.
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