Member of Parliament for Nsawam-Adoagyiri, Frank Annor-Dompreh, has revealed that Chairman Wontumi is on a hunger strike and has refused to eat while he is in EOCO’s custody.
The Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NP), has been in detention at the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) since Tuesday May 27.
According to Annor-Dompreh, as part of his protest against the cruel treatment he has received, Wontumi has decided to go on a hunger strike.
“The truth is that he [Wontumi] says he will not eat and has not eaten since his arrest. In fact, that is a decision he has taken upon himself and it’s a hunger strike,” Annoh-Dompreh noted.
The legislator bemoaned the secrecy surrounding Wontumi’s exact location and health status. He lamented how authorities were obstructing access to Wontumi by his legal team and party supporters, asserting that this is a violation of the accused’s fundamental human rights.
The minority Chief Whip indicated that per their findings, Wontumi was taken to the BNI clinic close to the Immigration head office for medical attention. But there is no information on the drugs that has been given to him and his current health condition.
Wontumi was picked by the Officials from EOCO after a short interaction with the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) headquarters in Accra on May 27. His detention, which has drawn harsh criticism from NPP members, has sparked a national debate. While some are advocating for his release, others are supporting his prosecution, attributing his detention to his disrespectful remarks about former presidents.
Wontumi was granted a Ghc50 million bail with two sureties on Wednesday May 28 but his legal team are yet to meet the full requirements of the bail. As it stands, former Assin Central MP, Kennedy Agyapong, has offered himself as one of the sureties to aid in Wontumi’s release.
Information gathered by this news portal indicated that NPP’s 2024 presidential candidate, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, has also made a move to secure Wontumi’s bail-out.
