Private legal practitioner Martin Kpebu has taken aim at the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) over its handling of the case involving Ashanti Regional NPP Chairman, Bernard Antwi-Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi.
Speaking on The KeyPoints on May 31, Mr. Kpebu criticised EOCO’s silence on the reasons for Wontumi’s arrest on May 27, suggesting that the lack of transparency has worsened public confusion and stoked political tension.
“By now, EOCO should have told us why Wontumi is being charged… EOCO has not handled the process well,” he stated.
Wontumi’s lawyer, Andy Appiah-Kubi, revealed to the media that his client had been charged in relation to dealings with Exim Bank but emphasized that interrogation was incomplete.
Mr. Kpebu weighed in, saying the public should focus on the facts of the case instead of just the bail amount.
“I heard the former Vice President, Dr Bawumia, crying that the bail condition is too much. I think he got the wrong advice. He should rather be asking for what he is being charged for,” Kpebu added, noting that bail conditions are typically tied to the financial magnitude of the allegations.
Meanwhile, Deputy Attorney-General Dr. Justice Srem Sai confirmed via Facebook that Wontumi is under investigation for serious crimes, including fraud, money laundering, and causing financial loss to the state.
He noted that the investigation also involves asset recovery and is linked to a broader international organised crime scheme.
“EOCO is assiduously working with our international law enforcement partners on this second strand of criminal investigations,” Dr Srem Sai disclosed.
