NPP’s Protest Over Wontumi’s Arrest Politically Motivated, Not About Justice – Suhuyini

Hamza Suhuyini, a communications team member of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), has accused the New Patriotic Party (NPP) of using the arrest of its Ashanti Regional Chairman, Bernard Antwi Boasiako (Chairman Wontumi), to further internal political ambitions rather than genuinely defending him.

Appearing on Channel One TV’s The Big Issue on Saturday, May 31, Suhuyini claimed the protest led by NPP MPs outside the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) was a strategic move aimed at winning favor within the party ahead of its internal elections.

“They’re simply using Wontumi’s situation as a platform to promote their personal ambitions,” Suhuyini argued. “It’s not about challenging any legal process. Most of them are just campaigning to secure their positions for re-election.”

His comments came after NPP legislators, led by Majority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin, staged a dramatic sit-in outside EOCO on May 29. The MPs marched from Parliament and blocked parts of the road in protest over Wontumi’s continued detention, which they labeled politically motivated.

The protest caused significant traffic disruption and drew a heavy police response. NPP MPs claimed the state was targeting Wontumi as part of a broader campaign of political persecution.

However, Suhuyini and other critics contend the protest was not rooted in principle, but in political self-interest—an effort to curry favor with party delegates and appear loyal ahead of NPP primaries.

Wontumi was first arrested by the CID on May 27 over suspected financial misconduct, and later taken into custody by EOCO for further investigation into alleged fraud, money laundering, and causing financial loss to the state.

He was granted bail by EOCO on May 28, with conditions including a GH₵50 million bond and two justified sureties. Despite reports from his legal team that these conditions were met, Wontumi remains in custody due to a pending High Court application seeking to review the bail terms.