Mahama Ayariga, the majority leader in parliament, has asked Bernard Antwi Boasiako, also known as Chairman Wontumi, the Ashanti regional chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), who was recently arrested and detained by the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO), to assist law enforcement in their work.
Speaking on GBC’s news and current affairs show “Focus,” Mr. Mahama Ayariga discussed his personal encounters with the legal system, revealing that he had been prosecuted for a number of years during the previous NPP government. He said that although Parliament was in session at the time, he received an invitation from the Office of the Special Prosecutor.
Ayariga claimed that he first turned down the offer, citing parliamentary immunity, on the grounds that he could not be forced to leave parliamentary proceedings. Nonetheless, the court demanded that he appear.
“I went to court and fought my case, and I was vindicated,” Ayariga said. “I urge Chairman Wontumi to also go and fight his case in court.”
His comments follow Wontumi’s EOCO arrest on Tuesday, May 27. In order to support current investigations, the NPP Chairman had already reported to the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) headquarters in Accra. However, he was stopped and arrested by highly armed EOCO personnel as he left the CID property.
Henry Nana Boakye, the national organizer for the NPP, verified the occurrence and called the arrest “unexpected and forceful.” Since then, the situation has generated public discussion and anxiety in political circles.
Ayariga responded to the incident by saying that national security agents and other law enforcement organizations are only carrying out their duties. Although security personnel may appear highly armed and employ “Rambo-style” tactics during operations, he denied accusations over the way arrests are carried out, pointing out that they usually assist the police and do not arrest detainees directly.
He emphasized that the rule of law must be respected, regardless of the methods used during an arrest. “If someone is being picked up, they should comply and request legal representation,” he advised. “If access to a lawyer is denied, then that is a clear violation of their human rights, and any court will be willing to defend those rights.”
Ayariga also issued a warning that people shouldn’t unduly criticize law enforcement acts by using their media platforms or political clout. “People should not intimidate law enforcement agencies if they are intimidated by the number of security officers who come to pick up one person,” he stated.
He emphasized that a government’s first duty is accountability and that the judicial system must be given time to complete its work. He cautioned, “Wontumi should not try to intimidate the law by using his media influence.” “He should go answer the questions from EOCO and help with the investigations.”