Ashanti Regional Chairman of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP), Bernard Antwi Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, has recounted what he describes as a near-death experience during his detention by the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO).
Chairman Wontumi was arrested on May 27, 2025, following an invitation by the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) for questioning over alleged serious offences, including fraud, causing financial loss to the state, and money laundering.
Speaking at a political event in the Adansi Asokwa constituency on Wednesday, September 10, he described the conditions of his detention as deplorable, claiming they pushed him to the brink of death.
“When I was arrested by EOCO, if you count your legs three times, that’s the width of the place where I was kept,” he told supporters. “If you look at where I slept, I nearly died.”
He further alleged that he sensed death drawing close, saying he began to feel the presence of deceased relatives—a spiritual sign, in his view, that his life was about to end.
“If someone is about to die, you’d know. You would see your relatives who have already passed away; you would begin to sense their presence around you, which literally means you are about to join them,” he explained.
Chairman Wontumi drew a dramatic comparison to the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, saying his ordeal reminded him of Christ’s suffering on the cross.
“I felt the presence of death around me in the place I was kept, just like when Jesus Christ shouted, ‘Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani.’ That’s when I also shouted, ‘People of Ghana, arise! Ghana, arise! It is because of you that I am being treated this way,’” he said.
