The recent controversy surrounding the arrest and bail of Bernard Antwi Boasiako—popularly known as Chairman Wontumi—has ignited heated political and legal debates, with critics blasting the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Minority for alleged hypocrisy in their response to the Wontumi bail saga.
Selorm Branttie, Vice President of the policy think tank IMANI Africa, minced no words in condemning the NPP Minority’s public show of solidarity with Chairman Wontumi, who faces multiple charges.
Branttie questioned why the party had not extended the same support to ordinary citizens who had suffered wrongful arrests and detentions in the past.
According to Branttie, many Ghanaians had endured unjust treatment without any political figures coming to their aid.
“They were sent from one cell to another, sometimes they were even refused transport to court, and yet the judges will refuse a hearing because the police didn’t get them to court. They were denied legal representation. Bystanders were rounded up and arrested, and some lost their jobs.”
Selorm Branttie
He criticized the Minority MPs who recently staged a dramatic sit-down protest, challenging the bail terms for Wontumi.
“The shameless men who went to sit on the ground, to protest the supposedly unfair bail terms of Chairman Wontumi, how many of them even raised a single breath to talk against that injustice?”
Selorm Branttie
Branttie also criticized the Minority for defending a fellow political elite who, according to him, had openly made reckless statements on his own television station—admitting to causing environmental harm and using the platform to mock and attack those he considered political opponents.
He raised issues about Wontumi’s controversial projects, including road contracts and an agricultural loan, implying there was no evidence of their proper execution.
Accordingly, he accused the NPP MPs of prioritizing the comfort of political elites over justice for everyday Ghanaians.
“So, if it were any ordinary person who was denied bail for an alleged theft, would they all march out in their numbers? Or some people are more Ghanaian than others?”
Selorm Branttie
EOCO, MPs Slammed Over Chairman Wontumi’s Bail
Legal minds have also weighed in on the Wontumi bail drama. Prominent lawyer Richard Dela Sky criticized both the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) and the protesting MPs.
Addressing EOCO directly, he said that using “unseasonable bail conditions” to penalize a suspect violates constitutional rights.
However, Dela Sky also warned the NPP Minority against unlawful protest tactics.
“It is equally unlawful to block a public road without lawful authority and to impede the police in the lawful execution of their lawful duties. Protesting alleged abuse of investigative authority should also not walk the path of unlawful conduct or offend public order as laid down in law. Stage lawful protest but, more importantly, seek appropriate judicial remedy.”
Richard Dela Sky
Dela Sky argued that based on the available facts, both EOCO and the protesting legislators are equally at fault and should be held to the same level of accountability for their actions.
“Today, I ask: Is Ghana worth the lives of all those who died in pursuit of her freedom? Mihe Adodo!” he lamented, emphasizing the need for justice and lawful conduct across all fronts.
Meanwhile, Deputy Attorney General Dr. Justice Srem-Sai recently confirmed the seriousness of the allegations facing Chairman Wontumi.
He stated that the NPP regional chairman is under investigation for multiple offenses, including fraud, causing financial loss to the state, and money laundering.
Srem-Sai noted that in addition to local investigations, there is a second phase tied to international criminal networks.
“The suspect is also under a second strand of investigation, which is part of a larger international organised crime scheme. EOCO is assiduously working with our international law enforcement partners on this second strand of criminal investigations.”
Dr. Justice Srem-Sai
Given the scale and scope of the case, some security analysts have defended the GHC 50 million bail condition as appropriate.
Observers argue that such terms are not excessive considering the charges, which reportedly involve serious economic crimes and the potential dissipation of criminal proceeds.
This perspective stands in contrast to the stance of the NPP Minority, which has described the bail as punitive and politically motivated.
Their protest has, however, been overshadowed by broader criticisms of selective activism and double standards—particularly when compared to the silence during past instances of injustice against non-politically aligned citizens.
As the investigation into Chairman Wontumi’s alleged criminal conduct unfolds, the Wontumi bail issue remains a litmus test for Ghana’s commitment to equal justice, transparency, and the rule of law.
For many, the controversy underscores the dangerous intersections between politics and legal accountability in the country.
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