Minority MPs Besiege EOCO in Daring Sit-Down Protest, Demand Wontumi’s Release

By Kuranchie William
In a rare display of parliamentary defiance, Minority Members of Parliament on Thursday staged a dramatic sit-down protest outside the offices of the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO), demanding the immediate release of Bernard Antwi Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi.
Led by Minority Leader Osahen Alexander Afenyo-Markin, the MPs — clad in neutral tones — marched from Parliament House to EOCO’s premises, occupying portions of the main street and bringing traffic in Accra’s Ridge area to a grinding halt. The protest drew a heavy police presence, as officers scrambled to maintain order amid chants of patriotic songs and resounding calls for justice.
“This is political persecution, plain and simple,” Afenyo-Markin declared, accusing the state of weaponizing law enforcement agencies against political opponents. “Wontumi must be freed now.”
The protest follows the continued detention of the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), who was arrested on Tuesday, May 27, after responding to a summons by the Criminal Investigations Department of the Ghana Police Service. He is currently under investigation for alleged financial irregularities involving the Ghana Export-Import Bank (EXIMBANK).
Though granted bail on Wednesday to the tune of GH¢50 million, Wontumi remains in EOCO custody, having failed to meet what critics call excessive and punitive bail conditions.
“The bail terms are not just unreasonable — they are outrageous,” said Afenyo-Markin, whose remarks echoed the sentiment of the crowd, many of whom accused EOCO of acting under political pressure.
The sit-down protest marks one of the most high-profile parliamentary-led demonstrations in recent memory, intensifying scrutiny over the government’s handling of high-profile investigations and its relationship with opposition figures.
As dusk fell, police barricades remained in place while negotiations continued behind closed doors. Whether the protest will shift the trajectory of the case remains to be seen — but the message was unmistakable: the political temperature in Ghana’s capital has risen.