Kpebu fumes over Abronye’s detention

Private legal practitioner Martin Kpebu has criticised the continued detention of opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) Bono Regional Chairman, Kwame Baffoe, popularly known as Abronye, after he was remanded for a second time by an Accra Circuit Court on Friday.

Speaking on Asempa FM’s Ekosii Sen programme, Kpebu described the court’s decision to keep Abronye in police custody for two consecutive weeks over what he called a misdemeanour charge as “unlawful” and contrary to the justice Ghanaians expect.

He argued that if the state considered Abronye’s comments offensive, the matter should proceed in court while granting him bail. Kpebu warned that denying bail in a misdemeanour case set a dangerous precedent.

“We must let the Attorney-General and IGP Yohuno know that this is not lawful. We didn’t vote for the NDC for this type of governance, and I cannot be part of this type of government,” Kpebu said.

“If they don’t want to forgive him, they can grant him bail as the case proceeds to the end. When the verdict comes and it is too much, then we talk about it,” he said.

“Void and useless”

“If in a misdemeanor case Abronye cannot secure bail, then it means the verdict on my Kpebu number 2 case in 2016 is void and useless. As citizens, we must get up and resist this, or else it will lead to tyranny,” he cautioned.

He called on the police to return to court on Monday to signal the completion of their investigations, paving the way for bail. Should they fail, he urged Abronye’s legal team to seek redress at the Human Rights Court.

“This is wrong and a sad day for our democracy. We must all rally support and speak against this because we cannot retrogress as a nation,” he added.

Abronye was first remanded on September 10, following his arrest on September 8 over what police described as “offensive conduct conducive to the breach of public peace.”

NPP protest

The opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) said on Friday it will hold a demonstration on 23 September to protest what it called state-sponsored harassment by the Ghana Police Service against its members.

The announcement was made by the party’s National Youth Organiser, Salam Mustapha, in a Facebook post, following the remand of Bono Regional Chairman Kwame Baffoe, popularly known as Abronye DC.

“Tuesday, 23rd September, the National Youth Wing will organise a demo against the state-sponsored police harassment. From Obra Spot to police headquarters. 6 a.m. sharp!” Mustapha wrote.

The protest is expected to draw large numbers of NPP supporters.

Credit: Asaase Radio