South Dayi MP Rockson-Nelson Etse Kwami Dafeamekpor says the arrest of New Patriotic Party (NPP) Ashanti Regional Chairman, Bernard Antwi Boasiako, also known as Chairman Wontumi, was long overdue, describing it as justice finally catching up after years of state inaction.

Speaking on JoyNews’ Newsfile programme on Saturday, May 31, the MP stated that civil society organisations (CSOs) had been calling for Wontumi’s prosecution as far back as 2022, following allegations of illegal mining activities linked to Akonta Mining, a company widely believed to be under his control.

“CSOs, not NDC, not NPP—private citizens—called for his prosecution. That call was ignored by the then Attorney General, Godfred Dame,” he added.

According to him, public concern peaked in October 2022, and the petition was renewed in January 2023, however, no action followed. The Majority Chief Whip stated that the petition was effectively undermined when then-President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo publicly defended Akonta Mining, claiming it was not engaged in illegal operations.

“That petition to prosecute Wontumi perfunctorily died. But you see, crime does not rot. If the state failed to act yesterday, it is still under legal obligation to act today,” he stressed.

The lawmaker noted that as recently as January 2025, one of the petitioners renewed the call for accountability, insisting that Akonta Mining and those behind it be prosecuted.

He noted that the arrest is not politically motivated but the result of persistent demands for accountability from civil society, adding that Wontumi’s arrest was “a warning long in coming.”

Chairman Wontumi was arrested by the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) on May 27, 2025, after voluntarily reporting to the Criminal Investigations Department (CID). He is being investigated for allegedly causing financial loss to the state.

He was granted GH₵50 million bail with two justified sureties, but has remained in custody for failing to meet the bail conditions.

The arrest has triggered political backlash, with Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin announcing a parliamentary boycott on May 29, calling the bail terms excessive and demanding Wontumi’s immediate release.

Other political figures, such as the former Vice President and flagbearer of the NPP, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, Member of Parliament for Abetifi, Dr. Bryan Acheampong, have intervened in his continuous detention over the bail condition.

Meanwhile, lawyers for the embattled Ashanti Regional Chairman say they have successfully met the bail conditions set by EOCO, but a new legal complication is preventing his release.