Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin has strongly criticised the arrest, remand, and prosecution of New Patriotic Party (NPP) Bono Regional Chairman, Kwame Baffoe, popularly known as Abronye DC, describing the development as a serious attack on Ghana’s democracy and constitutional freedoms.
In a lengthy statement, Afenyo-Markin accused the government of using state institutions and the criminal justice system to silence political opponents and suppress free speech.
According to him, the charges against Abronye DC, which include offensive conduct conducive to breach of peace and publication of false news, are politically motivated and aimed at intimidating opposition voices.
Abronye DC was arraigned before an Accra Circuit Court on May 13, 2026, following comments he allegedly made in a social media video criticising the conduct of a Circuit Court judge.
The court subsequently denied him bail and remanded him into the custody of the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI).
Reacting to the development, the Minority Leader argued that criticism of public officials, including judges, falls under freedom of expression guaranteed by the 1992 Constitution.
He insisted that if any individual feels defamed, the matter should be addressed through civil action rather than criminal prosecution.
Afenyo-Markin further questioned the legality of the remand process, claiming that lawyers for Abronye DC had reportedly been unable to obtain a signed and certified remand order from the court registry.
He described the situation as a constitutional concern that raises questions about the legality of the detention.
The Minority Leader also accused the Mahama administration of attempting to reintroduce criminal libel “through the back door” by relying on provisions under the Criminal Offences Act to prosecute political speech.
He cited the arrests of other NPP members, including David Essandoh and Abubakar Yakubu, also known as Baba Amando, as evidence of what he described as a growing pattern of political persecution against opposition members.
Afenyo-Markin called for the immediate release of Abronye DC and urged the judiciary, civil society organisations, and the legal profession to defend constitutional freedoms and protect the rights of citizens.
He further revealed that the NPP’s legal team would challenge the prosecution in court and seek constitutional interpretation of the laws being used against party members
