KEY POINTS
- NPP says GH¢50 million bail for Chairman Wontumi is excessive and unjustified.
- Minority leader warns NDC to stop political intimidation through legal means.
- Opposition demands fairness in the bail condition and treatment of Wontumi.
The Ashanti Regional Chairman Bernard Antwi Boasiako’s arrest and bail terms were sharply denounced by the New Patriotic Party’s minority in parliament.
NPP condemns bail conditions as excessive and unjustifiable
Chairman Wontumi was taken into custody earlier this week and questioned by Accra’s Economic and Organised Crime Office.
Party members claim that Wontumi’s GH¢50 million bail with two sureties is disproportionate and politically driven.
Alexander Afenyo-Markin, a minority leader, told JoyNews that the bail requirement is unreasonable and urged the authorities to take it into consideration right away.
He asked why everyone who cooperates with law enforcement must produce properties valued at GH¢50 million before being granted bail.
He was taken into custody in a rambo manner. “Go bring title properties worth 50 million cedis,” you say. What sort of nation is this? He inquired.
Before the next election cycle, Afenyo-Markin cautioned the ruling National Democratic Congress to consider their conduct.
Criticizing bail as a sort of punishment, he asked them to treat people as they would like to be treated.
Wontumi, what have you done? The Minority Leader stated, “We are here to protest an act that is both unjust and politically motivated.”
MP Kojo Oppong Nkrumah described the circumstance as an abuse of state authority for partisan ends.
He pointed out Wontumi’s collaboration with CID investigations and charged the administration with exploiting the legal system for political ends.
Calls for fairness in the handling of Chairman Wontumi’s bail condition
Wontumi was released on bond before being detained again in a “rambo-style swoop” by another state agency, according to Oppong Nkrumah.
He claimed that in order for officials to keep him incarcerated, “the imposed bail condition ensures he struggles to meet it.”
According to Myjoyonline, additionally, Nkrumah pointed out that EOCO representatives declined to verify Wontumi’s location or the existence of their director or deputies.
He declared, “We demand fairness in all this,” adding that everyone must be treated equally by the justice system.
Nana B addressed President John Mahama, “What is going on in this country? The rule of law does not apply here.
