Man who threatened to shoot public officials remanded

Ibrahim Mohammed, the man who allegedly threatened to shoot and injure some public officials in a viral video, has been remanded by an Accra Circuit Court.  

Mohammed, who was charged with threat of harm, offensive conduct to breach of peace, and publication of false news, pleaded not guilty before Mrs. Evelyn Asamoah’s court.

He allegedly mentioned the Inspector General of Police, Dr George Akuffo Dampare and the Minister for the Interior, Mr. Henry Quartey, whom he claimed played roles in a police recruitment exercise in the Ashanti Region.

The trial judge ruled that “considering the account of issuing threat to harm officials, the accused person is remanded.”

According to the court trial would be conducted expeditiously.

It therefore ordered the prosecution to file disclosures and witness statements by September 24, 2024.

The matter has adjourned to September 26, 2024.

Mr. Francis Xavier Sosu, who represented Mohammed, pleaded for bail, saying the charges preferred against the accused were misdemeanor.

According to Sosu, Mohammed had independent sureties who would guarantee his day-to-day attendance to court and would be available to go through full trial.

He told the court that Mohammed was not a flight risk because “he walked by himself in the company of his lawyer to the Police. The accused person was never arrested.”

Mr. Sosu said Mohammed had admitted that “some of the words used were irresponsible and he knelt down and apologized.”

The prosecution, led by Derrick Ackah, an Assistant State Attorney, opposed the bail application, arguing that though all persons had rights under the 1992 Constitution, each one’s right was subject to the rights of others, as well as the safety of the public.

Mr. Ackah said that by the standards of Section 96 of the Criminal and Other Offences Act, “we think the accused person would not avail himself to stand trial should he be granted bail.”

According to the Assistant State Attorney, although the accused had shown remorse, “there are still serious matters that must be dealt with. The beret he wore was retrieved from his home.

“It is also not entirely the case that the accused person out of his own volution or free will walked to the Police to assist in investigations.

“Immediately the accused person got wind of the fact that the Police were after him, he fled to Kumasi, and it was after a bounty was placed on him and he declared wanted that he surrendered himself to the Police.”

Mr. Ackah urged the court to look at the nature of the offences and accusation together with public interest in determining bail for Mohammed.

“The accused person’s comments were made over two months before the general elections.

“Being in an election period, we love the peace the country is enjoying. The accused cannot put the country’s peace in jeopardy through his comments,” he told the court.

The Ghana Police Service on September 11, 2024, arrested Mohammed for threatening to shoot and injure some public officials.

The police declared him wanted on September 9, 2024, after the video in which he was seen issuing the threats went viral.