You must be mindful, you won’t have this power forever – Afenyo-Markin warns EOCO boss

The Minority Leader in Parliament, Alexander Kwamina Afenyo-Markin, has sent a strong caution to the Executive Director of the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO), Raymond Archer, urging him to handle his responsibilities with care and fairness. He reminded Mr. Archer that positions of power are temporary and that one day, he too would leave office.

This warning came after Afenyo-Markin led members of the Minority in Parliament to stage a protest at the EOCO headquarters. The demonstration was in response to the continued detention of Bernard Antwi Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, who serves as the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP).

Chairman Wontumi is currently under investigation for a series of alleged crimes, which include fraud, money laundering, and causing financial loss to the state. Although a court has granted him bail amounting to GHS50 million, his legal team has not yet been able to meet the bail conditions necessary for his release.

Despite the bail being approved, EOCO has not allowed Wontumi to leave their custody, a decision that has sparked outrage among his supporters and prompted the Minority in Parliament to act.

Speaking to the media on Thursday, May 29, 2025, Afenyo-Markin did not mince words. He expressed concern about the way EOCO is handling the situation and warned Raymond Archer against abusing the power of his office.

“I want to say something to my respected friend Raymond Archer. He will not be the Executive Director of EOCO forever. Someday, he will no longer be there. He must be mindful of how he goes about things. You call them, and they won’t even respond; you try to engage them, they say okay, but the next moment, they start tossing you around.”

Afenyo-Markin emphasized that the Minority is not opposed to legal processes or investigations, but they are against actions that appear to be harassment or political persecution. He stressed that even though Wontumi has been accused of wrongdoing, he deserves humane treatment.

“We will continue to peacefully dialogue with them. I’m not saying that if Wontumi has done anything wrong, he should not go through due process. But don’t harass him; don’t persecute him. The man is sick, he is in their sick bay—do they want him to die so they can mourn him?”

He also used the opportunity to draw attention to the political implications of the situation. Afenyo-Markin argued that if the tables were turned, and a key opposition figure under an NDC government was arrested during an NPP administration, the reaction from the NDC would be different.

“If the NPP were in power and a regional chairman of another party had been arrested, we would have heard what the NDC would say. You summon someone all the way from the Ashanti Region, he drives himself here, and this is the treatment he receives? Is that what we call democracy?” he questioned.

To help calm the rising tensions, the Minority Leader called on President John Dramani Mahama to step in and address the issue. He appealed for a change in how EOCO and other investigative bodies handle sensitive political matters.

“I am taking this opportunity to appeal to President Mahama. It is my humble appeal that he calls those hawks to order. He should give them a new code of conduct—a new working ethic. Treating someone humanely does not prevent you from investigating them.”

Afenyo-Markin’s remarks come at a time when concerns are growing about how political opponents are being treated under President Mahama’s administration. While the government has emphasized the need to fight corruption and ensure accountability, opposition figures argue that some of the actions taken seem more like political witch-hunts than fair legal processes.

Chairman Wontumi’s arrest and continued detention have intensified the political tension in the country, especially within the Ashanti Region, a stronghold of the NPP. His supporters have expressed frustration over what they describe as selective justice.

Many political watchers believe this development could escalate if not handled carefully. The Minority’s protest and the public appeal to the president indicate that the NPP is prepared to mount pressure if they believe one of their key leaders is being unfairly targeted.

Meanwhile, EOCO has maintained its position that the investigation is ongoing and that legal procedures are being followed. However, until the bail conditions are met and Wontumi is released, the situation is likely to remain a major political flashpoint.

In the coming days, Ghanaians will be watching closely to see how President Mahama and the EOCO leadership respond to the Minority’s appeal. The outcome may influence not only the political atmosphere but also public trust in the country’s justice system and law enforcement agencies.