On Friday, May 30, 2025, former Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia was reportedly denied access to the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Bernard Antwi Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, during his detention by the National Investigation Bureau (NIB).
Speaking on Oyerepa Breakfast Time on Monday, Felix Kwakye Ofosu, Minister in charge of Government Communication, stated that the decision to deny Dr. Bawumia access to Chairman Wontumi stemmed from a violation of the terms and conditions agreed upon by the government and the NIB regarding visitation protocols during Wontumi’s detention.
“Terms were reached on how he (Bawumia) should come, but he breached those protocols.
It was agreed that he should come together with just one person, and there should be no crowd because the moment you do that, it creates an atmosphere, and the atmosphere you create is not conducive. So if you want to see Wontumi, you don’t need the whole crowd following you, as a former Vice President. So the moment you (Bawumia) breached the agreement, it was no longer going to hold.”
“He was given time to come, but he didn’t honour the agreement between him, NIB and EOCO to create the sort of atmosphere that enables NIB and EOCO to allow him to see Wontumi.” Felix Kwakye Ofosu stated.
Chairman Wontumi has been in the custody of EOCO following his arrest over alleged serious criminal offences, including fraud, causing financial loss to the state, and money laundering.
The Deputy Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Justice Srem-Sai, had stated earlier on his Facebook wall.
“Suspect Bernard Antwi Boasiako, a.k.a. Chairman Wontumi, is under investigation for various criminal offences… 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 Deputy Attorney-General wrote.
Minister Kwakye Ofosu emphasised that no individual, regardless of their political stature, is above security protocol.
Source: Oyerepafmonline.com/Joseph Marfo
