Ghana opposition boycotts parliament over leader's arrest

ACCRA - Dozens of opposition lawmakers from Ghana's main opposition boycotted parliamentary on Thursday and staged a march in protest at the detention of a senior leader facing financial irregularities investigation.

New Patriotic Party (NPP) chairman in the party's political stronghold of Ashanti Region, Bernard Antwi Boasiako, has been in custody at the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) in Accra since Tuesday.

The attorney general said he is being investigated for fraud, causing financial loss to the state and money laundering.

The lawmakers marched from parliament and staged a sit-in outside the heavily-guarded EOCO offices.

"Until EOCO does the right thing, we... will protest by absenting ourselves from parliament," leader of the opposition Alexander Afenyo-Markin told local media.

He condemned the "Rambo style" arrest of their colleague and labelled the GHS50 million ($4.8 million) bail ordered on him as "outrageous" and "unreasonable".

Boasiako was arrested after responding to a police invitation. He was granted bail on Wednesday, but he remains in custody after failing to raise the money.

The protest drew scores of mostly youth NPP supporters, who blocked streets near EOCO premises with car tyres, chanting slogans.

Police then dispersed the crowds.

Boasiako's company, Akonta Mining, has come under scrutiny in recent years for allegedly operating illegally in protected forest reserves.

In April, the Lands Ministry revoked its mining licence, citing environmental breaches.

The controversy has fuelled political tensions within one of west Africa's stable democracies and raised questions about the impartiality of President John Mahama's anti-corruption drive.

Mahama beat the NPP candidate and then vice president Mahamudu Bawumia in last year's presidential elections.