The New Patriotic Party’s Ashanti Regional Chairman and businessman Bernard Antwi Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, has officially discontinued his court application challenging the GH¢50 million bail condition imposed by the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO), following the successful completion of documentation for the required sureties.
The notice of discontinuance, filed on June 2, 2025, at the Criminal Division of the High Court in Accra, effectively ends a legal tussle that began just days earlier.
“TAKE NOTICE that the Applicant herein hereby wholly discontinues the Application against the Respondents”.
Gary Nimako Marfo, Legal Practitioner
Mr Boasiako’s lawyers had filed a motion on May 30, 2025, asking the court to intervene in what they described as an “excessive” and “punitive” bail requirement set by EOCO. The application was initially scheduled for hearing on Tuesday, June 3, 2025.
In the now-discontinued application, Mr Antwi Boasiako, through his legal representatives led by Gary Nimako Marfo of Marfo & Associates, contended that the GH¢50 million bail condition imposed by EOCO was not only disproportionate but also served as a tool to frustrate his release.
The motion specifically requested the court to revise the bail terms, citing concerns outlined in an accompanying affidavit which argued that the bail amount far exceeded reasonable limits for the charges or suspicions levelled against the applicant.
However, in a significant development over the weekend, the legal team of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Ashanti Regional Chairman completed the documentation process for the two sureties required under the bail condition.
Lead counsel Andy Appiah-Kubi confirmed that all necessary paperwork for the justified sureties had now been finalised, rendering the original application to the court moot.
Appiah-Kubi further acknowledged the role played by Bryan Acheampong, the former Minister for Food and Agriculture, in facilitating the process.
Describing his involvement as “instrumental,” Appiah-Kubi expressed gratitude for the considerable assistance offered by Bryan Acheampong, which helped expedite the resolution of the bail-related challenges.
The Economic and Organised Crime Office had earlier initiated legal processes that culminated in the imposition of the GH¢50 million bail, a figure that quickly drew public and political interest due to its magnitude and perceived implications.
End of Legal Confrontation
The decision to withdraw the application was officially communicated to the court through a notice of discontinuance, signed by the Registrar of the High Court and filed on June 2, 2025.
This move effectively brings to an end Mr Antwi Boasiako’s short-lived legal confrontation with EOCO and the Attorney General, who were both named as respondents in the suit.
The Deputy Attorney General and Minister for Justice, Dr Justice Srem Sai, has disclosed that Mr Antwi Boasiako is the subject of ongoing investigations relating to a series of grave criminal allegations.
These include suspected fraud, money laundering, and acts that have allegedly caused substantial financial loss to the state.
According to Dr Srem Sai, these investigations are being pursued in tandem with asset recovery processes aimed at preventing the further dissipation of what authorities believe are proceeds of crime.
In a more far-reaching revelation, Dr Srem Sai noted that EOCO is also investigating Boasiako as part of a broader international organized crime network.
This second strand of the investigation is being conducted in collaboration with international law enforcement agencies, signalling that the allegations may have cross-border implications and could potentially lead to prosecutions beyond Ghana’s jurisdiction.
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