Minority Leader and Member of Parliament for Effutu, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, has alleged an “unholy alliance” between the Executive arm of government and some elements within the judiciary aimed at silencing members of the opposition New Patriotic Party.
Addressing a press conference at the NPP headquarters in Asylum Down, Accra, Afenyo-Markin strongly condemned the arrest, prosecution and remand of Bono Regional Chairman of the NPP, Kwame Baffoe, popularly known as Abronye DC.
According to him, the developments represent a dangerous attack on constitutional democracy and freedom of expression.
“This is what Dr. Bawumia has rightly described as an unholy collaboration between the Executive, state investigative agencies, and some elements within the judiciary aimed at silencing the NPP. The pattern is undeniable,” he stated.
The Minority Leader argued that the prosecution of Abronye DC over comments made in a social media video criticizing a Circuit Court judge was unconstitutional and politically motivated.
He maintained that criticism of public officials, including judges, falls within the constitutional protection of free speech under Article 21 of the 1992 Constitution.
Afenyo-Markin also criticised the court’s decision to deny bail to Abronye DC, describing it as a constitutional disgrace.
“A citizen imprisoned not for what he did, but for what he might say. That is not the law. That is censorship from the bench,” he stressed.
He further questioned the legality of Abronye DC’s continued detention at the Bureau of National Investigations, claiming no signed and certified remand order had been produced at the time of his press conference.
The Effutu MP warned that Ghana risks sliding back into what he described as a “culture of silence” if state institutions are used to intimidate political opponents through arrests and prosecutions.
He also accused the Mahama administration of attempting to indirectly revive criminal libel laws through provisions under Sections 207 and 208 of the Criminal Offences Act.
“The charges against Abronye DC, Baba Amando, David Essandoh and others are, in substance and effect, criminal libel prosecutions. The only difference is the label on the charge sheet,” he said.
Afenyo-Markin called on the judiciary to remain independent and urged civil society groups, the media and the legal fraternity to speak out against what he described as growing political persecution.
