NPP condemns Abronye's arrest, says criticism is not a crime

New Patriotic Party (NPP) condemned the arrest and remand of its Bono Regional Chairman, Kwame Baffoe, popularly known as Abronye, describing the process as a violation of constitutional protections and a threat to free expression. Deputy Minority Leader Patricia Appiagyei said the arrest breached Article 14 of the 1992 Constitution, which guarantees personal liberty. She said, "We are looking at the constitutional provision that no person shall be deprived of his liberty except under clearly defined circumstances."

Mrs. Appiagyei maintained that Mr. Baffoe's comments amounted to criticism rather than criminal conduct, cautioning against what she described as the criminalisation of dissent. She said, "We are not encouraging insults, but every citizen has the right to criticise a system." She also questioned the legal basis for Mr. Baffoe's detention, alleging that as of the close of business on Friday, no formal documentation had been produced to justify the remand.

The NPP has also expressed concern over what it described as attempts to indirectly reintroduce criminal libel laws, which were repealed in Ghana more than two decades ago. According to Mrs. Appiagyei, the argument that the accused could continue making public comments if granted bail was insufficient grounds for detention. She stated, "That is persecution, not prosecution."