The Member of Parliament for Okaikoi Central, Hon. Patrick Yaw Boamah, has rejected accusations that he deliberately snubbed a Minority-led protest at the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) following the arrest of NPP Ashanti Regional Chairman, Bernard Antwi Boasiako (popularly known as Chairman Wontumi).
Describing the allegations as “pure mischief,” Boamah suggested the criticism is politically motivated and based on false assumptions.
In an interview granted in Parliament on Monday, the legislator clarified that he had no prior knowledge of the planned protest and only found out after seeing it broadcast on television.
“The protest wasn’t pre-arranged or coordinated. I wasn’t aware—it caught me by surprise just like everyone else watching TV,” he explained.
Boamah further pointed out that the Minority had held a caucus meeting earlier that day, but no mention was made of a protest.
“Our Minority Leader was in Abuja on ECOWAS duties, and our Deputy Leader presented our position on the floor. I was in the Chamber the entire time. I can show you my chat history with the Chief Whip from that evening,” he revealed.
He suggested that the protest was likely a spontaneous move by a few members, taken while several MPs were engaged elsewhere.
“So why am I being singled out? Maybe someone has an issue with me. But that’s politics—people will always find a way to be mischievous,” he said.
Boamah also referenced previous occasions where his absence had been unfairly criticized, including during the vetting of MPs Okudzeto Ablakwa and Samuel Nartey George. He explained that he was officially out of the country attending a pre-arranged meeting in South Africa at the time.
“Yet I was present at the Chief Justice demonstration and even in Reverend John Ntim Fordjour’s house. But no one talks about that. That’s just how politics works,” he stressed.
