By Daniel Bampoe
The legal troubles of New Patriotic Party (NPP) Bono Regional Chairman, Kwame Baffoe, popularly known as Abronye DC, deepened on Thursday, June 4, 2026, after the Accra High Court ordered that he be remanded into police custody for failing to comply with one of the key conditions attached to his bail.
The court, presided over by Justice Halimah El-Alawa Abdul-Bassit, ruled that Abronye had shown disregard for a specific directive requiring him to surrender his passport to the court registry after he was granted bail in a criminal case involving allegations of publication of false news and offensive conduct likely to disturb public peace.
Delivering her ruling, Justice Abdul-Bassit dismissed an application filed by the accused seeking a variation of the bail condition and directed that he remain in custody until he complies with the court’s order by depositing the passport with the registry.
The judge was unequivocal in her criticism of the accused’s conduct, describing his failure to surrender the travel document as a blatant disregard for the authority of the court.
According to her, the court’s earlier order had been clear and unambiguous, requiring the accused to deposit his passport with the registry.
She noted that Abronye’s explanation that the passport was currently in the custody of the United Kingdom High Commission did not excuse his failure to comply with the order when it was first issued.
The latest development arises from a criminal case in which Abronye is standing trial on one count of publication of false news and one count of offensive conduct conducive to the breach of the peace.
The charges stem from comments he allegedly made against a Circuit Court judge, remarks prosecutors argue were false and intended to undermine public confidence in the judiciary.
During proceedings, counsel for Abronye, Daniel Martey Addo, pleaded with the court to vary the bail condition relating to the surrender of the passport.
He informed the court that the travel document was currently being held by the United Kingdom High Commission and tendered a receipt as evidence.
While admitting that the passport had not been deposited with the court registry as directed, counsel argued that the circumstances had been adequately explained in a supplementary affidavit filed before the court.
The defence further appealed to the court to consider what it described as the educational interests of the accused.
According to counsel, Abronye was expected to resume academic studies in the United Kingdom on June 14, 2026, and therefore needed access to his travel documents. Counsel also submitted that the NPP chairman could require overseas travel for medical reasons and urged the court to exercise discretion by varying the bail conditions.
However, the prosecution strongly opposed the application. Principal State Attorney Joshua Sackey argued that the conditions attached to the bail were mandatory and that compliance was not optional.
He reminded the court that when Abronye was granted bail on May 21, 2026, one of the express conditions was the surrender of all travel documents to the court registry, coupled with a restriction against travelling outside the jurisdiction without prior permission from the court.
Mr Sackey further pointed to what he described as inconsistencies in the defence’s explanation.
According to him, documentary evidence submitted by the defence showed that the United Kingdom High Commission received the passport on May 25, 2026, four days after the court had already granted bail and ordered that the document be deposited with the registry.
The prosecutor argued that this demonstrated that Abronye had possession of the passport when the bail order was made but failed to comply with the court’s directive.
He maintained that the accused’s educational ambitions had not been curtailed because the law provided a mechanism for seeking permission from the court whenever travel became necessary.
He consequently urged the court to dismiss the application and compel the accused to surrender the passport immediately upon its release by the High Commission.
After considering submissions from both parties, the court sided with the prosecution and rejected the application.
The judge subsequently ordered Abronye’s remand until compliance with the bail condition is achieved.
The remand marks another significant chapter in the legal battle facing the outspoken NPP communicator. On May 21, 2026, the High Court had granted him bail in the sum of GH¢100,000 with two justified sureties.
Additional conditions required him to report to the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) Headquarters every two weeks, surrender all travelling documents to the court registry and refrain from leaving Ghana without prior authorization from the court.
The substantive criminal case itself stems from statements allegedly made by Abronye concerning a Circuit Court judge.
Prosecutors contend that the comments amounted to false publications capable of generating public disaffection toward the judiciary and potentially undermining confidence in the administ’ration of justice.
