EOCO Says Visit to Wontumi's Tema Property Was for Valuation, Not a Raid

The Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) has rejected claims that its officers raided a Tema residence belonging to Bernard Antwi Boasiako, the former New Patriotic Party (NPP) Ashanti Regional Chairman widely known as Chairman Wontumi.

The Office says the visit on Monday, November 9, 2026, was made with officials of the Lands Commission so that the property could be valued, as first reported by Citi News.

In a statement issued the same day, EOCO said the property had previously been frozen by the Office, and that a court confirmed the freeze in 2025.

According to the statement, the officials went to the property to record its coordinates and take measurements, which the Lands Commission needed in order to carry out a professional valuation.

Also read: KKD Urges Ghana to Treat Fashion as an Engine for Tourism and Jobs

"As part of due process, EOCO and Lands Commission officials were at the property to pick the coordinates and measurements to enable Lands Commission to conduct a professional valuation," the statement said.

EOCO said the whole exercise lasted under 10 minutes and that nothing untoward happened during the visit. It described the reports of a raid as a mischaracterisation of that activity.

"This is what has been characterised as ransacking of Wontumi's house," the Office said.

EOCO asked members of the public to ignore what it called false media reports about the visit.

The statement came after Mr Boasiako's spokesperson, Palgrave Boakye Danquah, claimed that five EOCO officers entered the Tema home and searched it while the former regional chairman's children were inside.

Speaking on Eyewitness News on Monday, Mr Danquah said the family called him at around 3 p.m. to tell him the officers had arrived at the house.

He said Mr Boasiako's mother-in-law, who was looking after the children at the time, first went to the gate when she was told the officers were there, and later let them into the compound after they asked to be allowed in.

Mr Danquah alleged that the officers then walked around the premises and went upstairs to where the children were.

EOCO's statement does not directly address the claim that officers went upstairs, but it maintains that the visit was brief, routine and carried out as part of due process relating to the frozen property.