Wontumi Trial: GH¢50m frozen in Wontumi’s accounts – Kwakye Ofosu

The government has frozen nearly GH¢50 million in accounts linked to Bernard Antwi-Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, as part of ongoing investigations into alleged financial misconduct, government spokesperson Felix Kwakye Ofosu has disclosed.

Speaking on PM Express on JoyNews on Tuesday, the Member of Parliament for Abura-Asebu-Kwamankese explained that the move was carried out by the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) to safeguard funds believed to be connected to ongoing probes.

“For instance, in Chairman Wontumi’s case alone, close to ¢50 million of money in his account has been frozen,” Mr. Kwakye Ofosu stated during the interview.

He clarified that the freezing of Wontumi’s funds forms part of a broader government initiative to identify and secure assets suspected to be linked to corruption and financial irregularities. “Similar figures are involved in the former Signals Bureau boss, Adu Boahen, case, for instance, in the National Service case and many others,” he added, referring to other high-profile investigations, including cases involving former National Signals Bureau Director-General Kwabena Adu-Boahene and irregularities in the National Service Authority ghost names scandal.

The spokesperson emphasized that the action is precautionary, intended to prevent the dissipation of assets while investigations and legal proceedings are ongoing. He further revealed that authorities have already secured approximately GH¢1.5 billion through similar measures.

However, Mr. Kwakye Ofosu stressed that frozen funds cannot be permanently recovered unless a court determines that the money was obtained illegally. “They are not going to be able to recover the money until the persons involved have been convicted by a court, which would then give the legal mandate to recover whatever the court finds to have been stolen,” he explained.

The spokesperson reiterated that these steps are part of the government’s broader strategy to ensure accountability and protect public resources, while also upholding due process under the law. He said the measures demonstrate the state’s commitment to following legal procedures and preserving the integrity of public funds throughout ongoing investigations.