The lawyer of embattled Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Bernard Antwi Boasiako (Chairman Wontumi), has refuted assertions that his client was arrested by the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) in a ‘rambo style’.
Speaking in an interview with Oyerepa TV/FM on Friday, May 30, 2025, lawyer Andy Kwame Appiah-Kubi said a warrant was issued for Wontumi’s arrest by EOCO.
He indicated that if there is anything wrong with his client’s arrest, it is the law that establishes EOCO.
“Let me explain, the type of arrest they made was an arrest under warrant. So, there was an arrest warrant for Chairman Wontumi… So, if there is anything wrong, it should be the law itself and not the approach.
“The law states that EOCO, as an entity, has the same powers as the police — that is the EOCO Act. So, their work is just like that of the police and includes them arresting upon warrant,” he explained in the Twi dialect.
He added, “But the issue with the law is that the warrant should be granted by the court, not by EOCO itself. So, the default in the law is EOCO itself having the power to issue warrants. Because if the law were such that the court was supposed to issue the warrant to EOCO, the justification for issuing the warrant would be determined in the court, but with this (law), they can decide whether or not to arrest under warrant,” he said.
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