The Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Bernard Antwi-Boasiako, widely known as Chairman Wontumi, will remain in the custody of the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) after his legal team failed to meet the bail conditions imposed by the agency.

Wontumi is currently under investigation for alleged involvement in multiple criminal offences, including fraud, causing financial loss to the state, and money laundering.

Deputy Attorney General, Justice Srem-Sai, has revealed that a second phase of the investigation reportedly links Wontumi to a wider international organised crime syndicate.

Despite being granted bail to the tune of GHS50 million, his legal team has yet to satisfy the conditions required for his release.

EOCO has consequently declined to release the NPP stalwart, a move that has ignited political backlash, particularly from the NPP Minority in Parliament. They accuse EOCO and elements within the National Democratic Congress (NDC) of using the case as a tool for political persecution.

Speaking on Thursday, May 29, Minority Chief Whip Frank Annoh-Dompreh condemned the investigation, describing it as part of an orchestrated scheme by President John Mahama to undermine the NPP’s influence in the Ashanti Region.

“This isn’t just legal — it’s political,” Annoh-Dompreh stated. “They want to break our spirit, but we won’t be intimidated.”

Wontumi’s continued detention has become a flashpoint in national politics, as calls for his release grow louder among NPP supporters and leaders.