Stan Dogbe
Deputy Chief of Staff, Stan Dogbe, has waded into the controversy surrounding the detention of Bernard Antwi Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, the owner of Akonta Mining Company Ltd, calling out the New Patriotic Party (NPP) for resorting to what he described as “political theatrics.”
In a statement posted on social media on Saturday, Dogbe expressed agreement with comments earlier made by the Member of Parliament for Mpraeso, Davis Ansah Opoku, who urged party members to allow due legal processes to take their course.
“Another point I agree with you on, Davis Opoku,” Dogbe wrote. “Instead of screaming, seeking to gain internal political advantage with the theatrics, is Afenyo, Nana B and the NPP saying they cannot get together and mobilise like the real men that they are to get sureties to meet the bail condition?”
His comments come amid heightened political tension following Wontumi’s arrest, with some factions in the NPP accusing state actors of betrayal and calling for mass mobilization. However, Dogbe dismissed those responses as unproductive.
“Instead of the theatrics, they should show real leadership and comradeship,” he added.
He was quick to clarify that Chairman Wontumi had not been denied bail and argued that the party should be focused on practical steps to meet the bail conditions, rather than engaging in dramatic public displays.
Dogbe also highlighted a curious legal twist in the case, revealing that another lawyer, unknown to Wontumi’s official legal counsel, had filed a separate application on behalf of the suspect, thereby complicating efforts to secure his release.
“Listening to the suspect’s lawyer, is it not also intriguing that another lawyer, unknown to him, filed a case on behalf of his client, which has now created a legal challenge to the efforts he was making to get his client bail?” he queried.
The statement is the latest in a series of reactions to the detention of Wontumi, who is a high-profile NPP figure and regional chairman for the Ashanti Region. The case continues to attract national attention, with increasing calls for discipline, restraint, and respect for the rule of law across party lines.
