Former Member of Parliament for Assin Central, Kennedy Agyapong, has voluntarily offered himself as one of the sureties for the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Bernard Antwi Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi.
This comes after Wontumi was granted bail to the sum of GH¢50 million with two sureties, both of whom are required to justify their eligibility.
The bail was granted on Wednesday, May 28, following his invitation by the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service to assist with investigations into alleged illegal mining activities, commonly referred to as galamsey.
Chairman Wontumi had previously been cautioned over allegations of engaging in mining without a license, polluting water bodies, and encroaching on forest reserves.
After honoring the CID’s invitation, he was taken into custody by officials from the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) and transported to their head office in Accra for further interrogation, reportedly on related matters.
News of his detention triggered swift reactions, as hundreds of NPP supporters and party executives thronged EOCO’s premises to demand his release.
Confirming Mr. Agyapong’s support, Kwesi Opoku, NPP Chairman for Tema West and a staunch supporter of Agyapong’s presidential ambitions, stated that the former MP voluntarily stepped forward after being briefed on the bail conditions.
He said, “I am confirming. The counsel, Appiah-Kubi, was telling him (Ken Agyapong) what the bail conditions are. So he offered himself that he was available because the Director of Special Prosecution here will examine whatever the bail conditions are, and they said that those of us who are not [involved] should come out, and we came out, and he is in there. As we speak now, he is in there.”
