By Elsie Appiah-Osei
Accra, May 18, GNA – Mr Alexander Kwamena Afenyo-Markin, the Minority Leader, has described the remand of New Patriotic Party (NPP) Bono Regional Chairman, Mr Kwame Baffoe, popularly known as Abronye DC, as a “profound constitutional wrong” that must be condemned without delay.
A press release issued by Mr Afenyo-Markin and copied to the Ghana News Agency on Monday, said the ongoing detention of the outspoken NPP figure raises serious concerns about Ghana’s constitutional safeguards on bail and free expression.
“The general tenure of Act 30, as amended, is one such legislation that is inconsistent with the constitution,” it stated. “The general tenure of Act 96, which deals with the grant of bail, gives a very clear indication that the court has discretion to grant bail to persons appearing before it in criminal cases upon conditions stated therein. “The abstention on granting bail in section 97 is therefore odd, and an unnecessary interference with the court,” it added.
The release argued that the legal action against Abronye DC amounted to criminalising public speech.
“What has been done to Abronye DC is a profound constitutional wrong, and must be condemned without equivocation, without delay. The arrest itself, the prosecution and remand of a citizen for words spoken in the public domain is not justice, it is prosecution,” it said.
The release acknowledged that the NPP does not condone irresponsible speech but maintained that Ghana’s legal system provides civil remedies for reputational harm rather than criminal prosecution.
“The party does not condone irresponsible speech. We never did, and we never will. But public discourse carries responsibility, and we believe deeply in that. Where speech damages a person’s reputation, Ghanaian law provides a civil remedy for it. It has been designed to achieve one aim, which is to allow the person injured to seek relief,” it added.
Abronye DC was remanded for two weeks on Wednesday, May 13, 2026, in connection with ongoing investigations into alleged misinformation and offensive public statements.
He was first arrested on Monday, April 13, as part of investigations into allegations of offensive conduct, false publication, and statements deemed likely to incite fear and panic.
He was later granted bail while investigations continued before being rearrested as authorities intensified their probe.
The NPP has raised concerns over his detention, insisting the process raises constitutional questions about due process and the limits of free expression in Ghana.
GNA
Kenneth Odeng Adade
Elsie Appiah-Osei