I nearly died in EOCO custody; I started seeing my dead relatives — Chairman Wontumi

Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Bernard Antwi Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, has recounted a near-death experience while in the custody of the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO).

He was arrested and detained on Tuesday, May 27, over allegations of financial crimes and causing financial loss to the state.

His GHS50 million bail condition, which required two sureties, was not fully met, resulting in his continued stay in EOCO custody for almost a week, despite protests from the NPP.

Speaking during an NPP flagbearer campaign engagement with Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia on Wednesday, September 10, Chairman Wontumi disclosed that his detention left him in a critical state.

“I was kept in a very small and tight room after I was arrested and detained by the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO). I nearly died while there.

“As a human being, you can see if you are about to die. At that moment, you will start seeing your dead relatives. I realised I was dying after I started seeing my dead relatives. I had to mimic the moment Jesus Christ shouted and asked why God had abandoned him,” he said.

Meanwhile, former Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia has described the detention of Wontumi and other opposition figures as part of a broader pattern of intimidation by the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC).

The 2024 NPP flagbearer alleged that since assuming office, the NDC has used state security institutions to target his party’s executives, social media activists, and former appointees.