Bu Barbara Kumah
The Circuit Court 9 in Accra has admitted Bono Regional Chairman of the NPP, Kwame Baffoe, popularly known as Abronye, to bail in the sum of fifty thousand cedis, with one surety and no justification. Abronye is to report once every Wednesday to the Police CID until the final determination of his case. His lawyer, Daniel Martey, on Monday afternoon prayed the court for bail after he told the court, presided over by Mr. Samuel Bright Acquah, that his client’s health was deteriorating in remand and prayed the court for bail in order for him to get the needed medical attention.
The bail application for Kwame Baffoe, also known as Abronye, was originally scheduled for Friday, September 19. However, his lawyer, Daniel Martey, was in court on Monday to pray for an abridgment of time, claiming that his client’s health was in a bad state. His plea was not opposed by the prosecution. The court consequently granted the application for bail and ordered the Bono NPP Regional Chairman to report to the police once a week until the determination of his case.
Last Friday, Abronye was remanded again into custody during his second appearance before the Circuit Court in Accra for his alleged verbal attacks on the Inspector-General of Police. The court agreed with the prosecution’s plea to remand Abronye to allow for further investigations. He has been charged with publication of false news and offensive conduct conducive to the breach of peace.
Abronye allegedly stated on an online platform, Ohia TV, on September 3, that the Inspector-General of Police attended all the strategic meetings conducted by the NDC in Akwatia. According to the prosecution, the alleged statement was intended to cause fear and panic. On the charge of offensive conduct conducive to breach of peace, it is alleged that on that same date and platform, Abronye made offensive and abusive statements against the IGP, describing him as one with low IQ and the most corrupt in the history of the country.
Pleas by his legal team to get him released on bail were refused by the court. A defence lawyer, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, argued that the charges are misdemeanors in nature and minor offences which do not warrant the high-handedness the case has assumed. He said the accused is transported to court in a manner that suggests he has committed a grave offence. He told the court that the accused has no intention to escape and feared that the police would sway the court in an attempt to punish him because the matter involves the IGP.
He contended that the country is a developing democracy and the court must intervene to check some of the excesses by state agencies in order to restore confidence. The court, however, held that freedom of speech goes with responsibility. In the opinion of the court, standards must be set, and it called for policies to erode politics of insults from the country.
The case has been adjourned to October 7 for hearing.
