Latest news with #BernardAntwiBoasiako
Eyewitness News
4 days ago
- Politics
- Eyewitness News
Ghana opposition boycotts parliament over leader's arrest
ACCRA - Dozens of opposition lawmakers from Ghana's main opposition boycotted parliamentary on Thursday and staged a march in protest at the detention of a senior leader facing financial irregularities investigation. New Patriotic Party (NPP) chairman in the party's political stronghold of Ashanti Region, Bernard Antwi Boasiako, has been in custody at the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) in Accra since Tuesday. The attorney general said he is being investigated for fraud, causing financial loss to the state and money laundering. The lawmakers marched from parliament and staged a sit-in outside the heavily-guarded EOCO offices. "Until EOCO does the right thing, we... will protest by absenting ourselves from parliament," leader of the opposition Alexander Afenyo-Markin told local media. He condemned the "Rambo style" arrest of their colleague and labelled the GHS50 million ($4.8 million) bail ordered on him as "outrageous" and "unreasonable". Boasiako was arrested after responding to a police invitation. He was granted bail on Wednesday, but he remains in custody after failing to raise the money. The protest drew scores of mostly youth NPP supporters, who blocked streets near EOCO premises with car tyres, chanting slogans. Police then dispersed the crowds. Boasiako's company, Akonta Mining, has come under scrutiny in recent years for allegedly operating illegally in protected forest reserves. In April, the Lands Ministry revoked its mining licence, citing environmental breaches. The controversy has fuelled political tensions within one of west Africa's stable democracies and raised questions about the impartiality of President John Mahama's anti-corruption drive. Mahama beat the NPP candidate and then vice president Mahamudu Bawumia in last year's presidential elections.
BBC News
6 days ago
- Business
- BBC News
Who be di Ghana opposition party businessman 'Chairman Wontumi' wey authorities dey pursue?
Police and di economic and organised crime office (EOCO) dey pursue one ogbonge opposition party chairman ova plenti allegations. Bernard Antwi Boasiako (alias Chairman Wontumi) bin dey under pressure as di state dey chase am about im involvement for illegal mining (galamsey) and oda financial crimes. Dem bin rush di Ashanti regional chairman of di opposition NPP to hospital afta im allegedly fall sick during interrogation by EOCO. Dem arrest Bernard Antwi Boasiako alias "chairman Wontumi" on Tuesday afta im report to di police CID office, a day afta dem grant am bail wit two sureties. Di businessman chop accuse say im dey involve for illegal mining (galamsey), im dey pollute water bodies and also entering forest reserve without authorization wit im mining company. Last week, security pipo don go im house for Kumasi wit search warrant but oga Wontumi im private security no allow di officers to enter di house - but im gree to report imsef for di police station on Monday 26 May. Na so officers from EOCO don arrest di controversial opposition party chairman afta im visit di police CID Tuesday afternoon. Party supporters and dia leaders gather wia dem spend di night for EOCO office to demand di release of dia chairman. Dem cause kasala wit police and soldiers for dia wia some bin burn tyres wia dem dey chant. Afta six hours of interrogation, Oga Wontumi say im fall sick wia dem rush am to hospital. Im lawyer Andy Appiah Kubi confam say, "we neva finish di interrogation bifor my client fall sick, na so dem carry am go hospital." "If dem bin treat am wey im dey fit, we go come back to continue di interrogation, unless di doctors tok say im no dey well." Di arrest of chairman Wontumi dey in connection wit anoda mata different from di illegal mining allegations. Im lawyer say "we don receive anoda writ of summons by Exim Bank wey we go respond to di mata, we go mount defence for our client – dis na civil mata, but for di ones wey be criminal case, we go mount defence for oga Wontumi." Party leaders and di supporters tok say di way dem arrest dia chairman, no good. National youth organiser Salam Mustapha say di way dem arrest dia party member na "rambo-style." "Dis na democracy, di goment no fit to use state security to intimidate political opponents. Why dem go arrest pesin dis way? Dem fit to invite am wey im go present imsef. But to treat pesin like dis, na unfair." Oga Wontumi no be di only officer for di opposition party wey dey under investigation for various allegations of corruption Di former signals bureau boss Kwabena Adu-Boahene and im wife dey under trial say dem allegedly cause financial loss to di state wey dem also divert state funds. Di former director and di board chairman for di Ghana infrastructure and minerals fund (GIIF) also bin dey before court ova one $2m sky train mata. Di attorney general bin dey pursue oda former goment appointees ova alleged corruption among oda tins. Who be chairman Wontumi and why e dey popular? Chairman Wontumi na ogbonge pesin for di new patriotic party (NPP) – wey im be di chairman of di party for dia stronghold di Ashanti Region. Im dey popular sake of some of di tins im dey tok and how im dey handle tins. Im na old student of Prempeh College. Di businessman man get plenty businesses – im get mining companies, im dey for di construction and oda industries. For 2022, im declare say im wan buy Chelsea football club; im tok say im submit $3.1bn bid to buy di English club. Di businessman also bin get media business – wit TV and radio station. Three years ago, im carry wetin im describe as "pure gold" to im station wia im display for live TV. "Dis na solid moni, dis na pure gold, we no dey joke for dis kontri. Solid moni," chairman Wontumi tok as im dey display five bars of gold for di TV. Chairman Wontumi na one of di financiers of im party – na so im dey so powerful, especially during di last eight years under di NPP goment. Many civil society groups bin dey petition di police CID under di Nana Akufo-Addo goment say Chairman Wontumi im mining companies dey involve for illegal mining for di forest reserves. But di president at di time, Nana Akufo-Addo tok say di chairman company no dey involve for illegal mining even though di minister for lands and natural resources at di time, Samuel Abu Jinapor confam say di party chairman im company dey involve for illegal mining. Di environmental groups bin petition di police CID again dis year afta di elections say make di police investigate am, na dat be one of di reasons wey dem invite am to di CID headquarters. Despite im popularity for di NPP, im dey divide opinion among di party leadership. Im wan rise from im post as Ashanti regional chairman to become di national chairman of di opposition party.
