This why NPP executives didn’t want to stand as sureties for Wontumi

Deputy Director of Elections for the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Mahdi Gibril, has suggested that members of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) refused to stand as sureties for Bernard Antwi Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, because they feared exposure.

According to him, many within the NPP were afraid that stepping in to support their Ashanti Regional Chairman could lead to further scrutiny and potentially reveal hidden issues.

Mahdi Gibril explained that offering themselves as sureties could have implicated some individuals in ongoing or future investigations related to corruption.

Despite his legal troubles, Chairman Wontumi has now met the bail conditions set by the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO). However, his release has reportedly been delayed due to a pending court motion.

On Friday, May 30, Wontumi’s lead lawyer, Andy Appiah-Kubi, told journalists that his client was in good health and had fully satisfied the bail requirements.

EOCO had earlier granted Wontumi bail on Wednesday, May 28, in the sum of GH¢50 million, with two justified sureties.

Responding to criticisms that Wontumi was being unfairly targeted, Mahdi Gibril dismissed claims of political intimidation.

He insisted that the case was being handled according to legal procedures and that no one had violated Wontumi’s rights.

Mahdi Gibril stated that the NPP official is under investigation for serious offences, including money laundering, fraud, and causing financial loss to the state.

He told host Kwabena Agyapong that “the NPP and their members could not stand in as sureties because they feared they would be exposed. A lot of them did not want to stand in as sureties because their property would have been the subject of investigation.

Nobody is intimidating Wontumi. He is being investigated for several criminal offences, including money laundering, fraud and causing financial loss to the state. Former President Akufo-Addo failed to have Wontumi investigated for his involvement in illegal mining activities. A new government has taken over and has demonstrated commitment in investigating him, and so this cannot be described as intimidation.

He has been given bail with conditions, and it was expected that he meet these conditions so that he would be granted bail. When you use the Woyome saga as an example, he was granted Ghc54 million bail, and so it cannot be said that the one granted to Wontumi is outrageous. The NPP should have easily taken an interest in standing as surety for Wontumi, especially when you look at how they keep talking about the issue and making political capital out of it.”

He further claimed that some NPP members feared Wontumi might abscond if they stood in as sureties for him.