Former State Prosecutor Augustine Obour has criticized the legal strategy of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Ashanti Regional Chairman, Bernard Antwi Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, over the GH¢50 million bail condition imposed by the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO).
Speaking on Joy FM’s News Night, Mr. Obour argued that instead of mounting public protests and exerting political pressure, Wontumi’s lawyers and Minority Members of Parliament should have sought legal recourse by applying to the court for a variation of the bail terms.
“At the beginning, they could have gone to court for the bail when they sensed danger was coming. They could have applied to the court for a variation, and the court could have substituted a more manageable bail condition,” he said.
Mr. Obour emphasized that Wontumi remains a suspect and has not been formally charged, making judicial intervention the appropriate course of action.
According to the former prosecutor, once EOCO grants bail and the accused cannot meet the conditions, the law requires that the suspect be taken to court within 48 hours for a judge to determine suitable bail terms—not to be held in custody indefinitely.
“The law states that if you cannot release the person on bail within 48 hours, you have to take them to court. By granting bail at GH¢50 million, if the person cannot secure it, then the suspect must be brought before the court,” he explained.
He added, “Instead of protests and political demonstrations, they could have filed the bail documents in court and requested a variation. That would have been a simpler and more lawful approach.”
