The ongoing detention of Ashanti Regional NPP Chairman, Bernard Antwi Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, has taken a dramatic twist as his wife emerges as the key figure behind a fresh legal move to review his bail conditions—raising questions about coordination within the New Patriotic Party’s legal team.
Despite securing a GHC50 million bail with two justified sureties, Wontumi remains in custody at the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO). His release was expected once his legal team met all bail requirements, but a surprise application for variation of the bail conditions filed on Friday stalled that process.
Appearing on JoyNews’ Newsfile, Gushegu MP, Hassan Tampuli, revealed that the application was not filed by the party per se, but on the direct instructions of Wontumi’s wife, who was growing increasingly frustrated by delays and the lack of clear communication.
“She wants to see her husband and wants to see action. If the lawyers are doing something and she doesn’t know, she won’t be satisfied,” Dr Tampuli stated, explaining the wife’s motivations for instructing the party’s Director of Legal Affairs, Gary Nimako, to act.
Tampuli clarified that Nimako’s move was not sanctioned by the NPP’s General Secretary or National Chairman, but was instead personally directed by Wontumi’s wife and an aide, after initial efforts to meet the bail terms hit a snag.
Legal team member and MP, Andy Appiah-Kubi, had reportedly been working toward satisfying the original bail conditions. However, according to Tampuli, Gary Nimako contacted Appiah-Kubi around 2:30 p.m. Friday to suggest a new application be filed, after it became clear progress was slow.
The development has exposed what appears to be cracks within the NPP’s legal machinery, with internal communication breakdowns and overlapping efforts by different actors.
Dr Kojo Pumpuni Asante, a Senior Research Fellow at the Center for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana), also commented on Newsfile, pointing to what he described as a “conflict about who represents Wontumi” legally—a situation that may be complicating the effort to secure his release.
As public and political pressure mounts over Wontumi’s continued detention, the spotlight is now on the NPP’s internal processes and whether its legal structures are coordinated enough to handle high-stakes cases involving senior party figures.
