The Ashanti Regional chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Bernard Antwi-Boasiako alias Chairman Wontumi, is going through turbulent times when it comes to his finances.
Aside his bank accounts reportedly frozen as a result of on-going investigations, he is unable to receive electronic cash on his MTN phone number.
Wontumi, who is under investigations by various anti-corruption agencies including the Economic and Organized Crime Office (EOCO) and the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the Police, has allegedly been blocked by government through the mobile company.
The action forms part of the investigations underway, the Ashanti Regional communication director, Paul Yandoh has disclosed.
Yandoh who is a close associate of Wontumi said anything concerning money and beyond have been curtailed by the state.
He said, he has personally attempted to send the NPP stalwart money but the transaction did not go through. According to him, moneys sent to Wontumi’s mobile phone are returned to senders.
Speaking in a radio interview, Yandoh decried the situation saying it was really difficult and concerning.
The conversation about Wontumi came about when the host, one Revered asked if the regional chairman could not go to the aid of former Director of the National Service Authority (NSS) who is still at the EOCO cells because he is unable to meet his bail condition. Assibey Antwi is facing corruption allegation involving insertion of ghost names on the Authority’s payroll.
Yandoh said Wontumi could not assist the former Kumasi Mayor because he is has no money for himself let alone helping others. The restrictions he said spans to his radio stations, luxurious vehicles, clothes and so on.
“He is in trouble already so how can he assist another person”, he quarried. He continued he is frequenting court 1 and 4, reporting to EOCO, CID and others so does he even have the peace of mind? They have frozen his bank accounts, they have frozen his mobile money account, they have seized his clothes, his cars, they have closed his three radio stations (Kumasi, Takoradi and Accra) so what can he do? Even recently, he pleaded in court that they unfreeze his bank account but the AG said no way, so Wontumi is in big trouble”.
He went on to offer more insights to the situation saying “Even if you send MoMo, MTN will reverse it, MTN will notify you not to send money to the account, I am telling you. I am saying that his mobile money account has been frozen, no transaction.
They will send the money back. I have personally done one. Recently I got some GHS500 and I wanted to gift him when I sent it, it was reversed I have never seen this before. So as for Wontumi he has been deprived of so many things. His mobile money is inactive. Now if he wants to talk unless he uses WhatsApp I think they even want to take his number from him.”
Wontumi is accused of illegal mining, mining in forest reserves, money laundering, among others. The Attorney General and Minister for Justice Dr Dominic Ayine has already hauled him in court for some of the accusations
By Gifty Boateng