The detention of Bono Regional NPP Chairman, Kwame Baffoe, popularly known as Abronye, has drawn sharp criticism from former Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Godfred Yeboah Dame, who has accused the John Mahama administration of stifling free expression.
Abronye was arrested for alleged offensive conduct said to be conducive to the breach of public peace. But according to Dame, keeping him in custody highlights what he describes as the government’s growing intolerance toward dissenting voices.
Comparing the situation to cases he handled during his time in office, Dame recalled that even in a treason trial, bail was granted on the very first day. “Even in the most serious case I prosecuted, which was the treason trial, all the accused persons were granted bail on the first day. This is a sharp contrast when it comes to the situation Abronye is facing,” he said.
He also cited other high-profile prosecutions involving former officials like Collins Dauda, Finance Minister Ato Forson, and businessman Richard Jakpa, who were granted self-recognition bail.
Concluding his remarks, Dame stressed that clamping down on free speech threatens democratic principles. “So, I am saying that there ought to be tolerance for free speech, and the intolerance of this administration is very repulsive,” he declared.
