Private legal practitioner Martin Kpebu says the arrest of New Patriotic Party (NPP) Ashanti Regional Chairman, Bernard Antwi-Boasiako, also known as Chairman Wontumi, by the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) could be tied to potential money laundering offences linked to his alleged involvement in illegal mining.
Speaking on Joy FM’s News Night on Tuesday, Mr. Kpebu explained that EOCO’s interest in the NPP executive is not surprising, considering the agency’s mandate to investigate financial crimes, including money laundering.
“This is to be expected because EOCO deals with issues of money laundering,” he said. “Some of the activities Wontumi undertook — you undertake illegal mining and get money — that’s a crime you have committed.
“If he seeks to use the proceeds of illegal mining to do any other business, it will be money laundering. That’s a classical form of money laundering, where we say there is a predicate offence — in this case, galamsey.”
According to Mr. Kpebu, Wontumi’s alleged involvement in illegal mining could serve as grounds for EOCO to pursue further investigations.
“I’m not surprised… This invitation by EOCO, for me, can be supported by publicly available knowledge — that’s the illegal mining he did. The proceeds he got from that can be used to investigate him for money laundering,” he added.
Chairman Wontumi was re-arrested on Tuesday, May 27, shortly after leaving the CID headquarters in Accra, where he had complied with a directive to report for further questioning as part of his bail conditions.
He is currently under investigation for alleged illegal mining in forest reserves and unauthorized entry into restricted areas.
While EOCO has not officially disclosed the full details of his arrest, Mr. Kpebu believes the financial dimensions of Wontumi’s alleged actions offer a strong legal basis for EOCO’s involvement.
Source: Myjoyonline
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