The Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Bernard Antwi Boasiako (Chairman Wontumi), has arrived at the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) Headquarters in Accra together with his legal team after an invitation by the police.
He was spotted in the early hours of today in a green polo shirt over a pair of jeans trousers at the CID office in the company of his lawyers, led by Andy Appiah-Kubi.
This forms part of an ongoing probe into the alleged involvement of his Akonta Mining firm in illegal mining (galamsey).
The meeting comes ahead of formal charges expected to be brought against the NPP regional chairman.
This development follows a warning issued last Friday by the Attorney General, Dr. Dominic Ayine, who indicated that Mr Boasiako would be arrested if he failed to appear before the Police CID today, Monday, October 6.
Speaking to the media before the meeting, Wontumi’s lead counsel, Andy Appiah-Kubi, explained that his client had not defied any police directive and was “ready to fully cooperate with investigators.”
“The invitation came to us on Friday. It was supposed to come today,” Mr Appiah-Kubi said. “Indeed, I was travelling on Friday, so I sought leave for us to defer the meeting to tomorrow, and such leave was granted in person to the officer involved.”
However, he revealed that confusion arose after hearing reports that the Attorney General had directed the meeting to take place earlier than agreed.
“When I was travelling, I heard on one of the news stations that the Attorney General had reported to the President that he would decline our arrangement to come tomorrow and that we were supposed to report today, failing which he would instruct the police to arrest Chairman Wontumi and bring him to Accra,” Mr Appiah-Kubi noted.
According to him, the discrepancy stemmed from a “communication gap” between the offices of the Director-General of the CID and the Attorney General. Despite this, he said they had honoured the new directive and were at the CID to finalise the process.
“What I understand is that the Attorney General will conclude his investigations today and issue us a report indicating the charges they want to prepare against my client,” he explained.
“We are here to conclude the investigations and be privy to the charges being laid.”
Mr Appiah-Kubi also took the opportunity to clarify that his client was still on valid police enquiry bail and had not breached any of its conditions.
“Chairman Wontumi is, for now, on police enquiry bail. He has been granted bail properly,” the lawyer said.
“It is incorrect for anybody to suggest that we have been dragging our feet in responding to invitations. In all cases where he has been invited, we have shown presence and cooperated with investigators.”
He expressed disappointment at the Attorney General’s warning that his client would face arrest if he failed to appear, describing it as unnecessary and politically charged.
“We don’t need to unnecessarily increase the political temperature in the country,” he said.
“The law is that any accused person must be given adequate time and resources to prepare a defence. An accused person is not guilty until proven so and must be allowed to enjoy his civil liberties.”
Mr Appiah-Kubi again stated that his client remained compliant with all legal obligations.
“He is on police enquiry bail as we speak now. He has not violated any of the bail conditions. It would be strange for anyone to suggest otherwise,” he said.
“We expect that today they will conclude the investigations, give us the charges, and also give us ample time to prepare our defence.”
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