BY Daniel Bampoe
An Accra High Court has granted bail to Bono Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party, Kwame Baffoe, in the sum of GH¢100,000 with two sureties after days of detention in the custody of the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI).
The decision by the High Court comes after mounting political pressure, legal challenges, and public debate surrounding Abronye DC’s arrest, remand, and prosecution over comments he allegedly made against a Circuit Court judge in a viral social media video.
Abronye was initially arraigned before Circuit Court 9 in Accra on May 13, 2026, where prosecutors charged him with publication of false news and offensive conduct conducive to the breach of peace under Sections 208 and 207 of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29).
According to the prosecution, the outspoken NPP chairman made derogatory comments against a judge who had been handling politically related cases, accusing the judge of bias and incompetence. Prosecutors further alleged that the comments were capable of inciting public disaffection against the judiciary.
His legal team subsequently applied for bail, arguing that the offences were misdemeanours and that Abronye had a fixed place of abode, reliable sureties, and no reason to evade trial.
However, Circuit Court 9 refused the bail application and ordered that Abronye be remanded into BNI custody pending further proceedings.
The court’s ruling later sparked widespread controversy after it emerged that the judge justified the refusal of bail on grounds that Abronye was likely to commit “further offences” if granted bail.
The ruling drew fierce criticism from opposition politicians, lawyers, and supporters of the NPP, who argued that the decision amounted to punishing a citizen for the possibility that he might continue speaking publicly.
Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin became one of the loudest critics of the ruling, openly attacking the handling judge and accusing the government of using the courts and state security institutions to intimidate opposition figures.
The NPP further alleged that the case formed part of a broader pattern of political persecution under the administration of President John Dramani Mahama, citing other arrests involving opposition communicators and activists.
The Abronye case quickly escalated into a major national political controversy, with the opposition accusing the government of attempting to resurrect criminal libel laws through the use of provisions relating to false publication and offensive conduct.
Party officials also raised concerns over Abronye’s continued detention in a national security facility, insisting that the BNI was meant for matters involving national security threats and not speech-related offences.
The controversy deepened after claims emerged that Abronye’s lawyers had difficulty obtaining certified remand orders from the court registry and that attempts to move fresh bail applications had faced procedural delays.
During the period of his detention, several NPP leaders, including former Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia, publicly condemned the prosecution and described the arrest as part of an orchestrated effort to silence dissent and intimidate critics of government.
The party also petitioned members of the diplomatic community in Ghana, accusing the Mahama administration of weaponizing state institutions against political opponents and eroding democratic freedoms.
The High Court’s decision to grant bail is therefore being viewed by NPP supporters as a major legal and political breakthrough in the increasingly contentious case.
Although Abronye has now secured bail, the substantive criminal charges against him remain before the court and proceedings are expected to continue in the coming days.
The case has reignited national debate over freedom of expression, judicial independence, and the limits of political criticism in the constitutional democracy.
