The General Secretary of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Justin Kodua Frimpong, has described the recent bail conditions imposed on members of the NPP under the Mahama administration as “cruel, unreasonable, and constitutionally offensive.”
Addressing a press conference at the party’s national secretariat in Accra on Tuesday, November 5, 2025, Mr. Kodua said the current administration has weaponized the state security apparatus and the judiciary to target political opponents, subjecting them to intimidation and persecution.
According to him, the ongoing pattern of arrests and detentions of NPP members without trial represents a deliberate attempt by the Mahama government to suppress dissent. He noted that several NPP figures, including Chairman Wontumi, Abdul Wahab Hannan, Gifty Oware-Mensah, Osei Assibey Antwi, and others, have been victims of prolonged detention and oppressive bail requirements.
“Under this John Mahama administration, persons accused of offences are treated as though they are guilty until proven innocent. We are witnessing a disturbing abuse of judicial power, where bail conditions are so excessive that they effectively deny the right to bail,” Mr. Kodua stated.
He cited Article 14 of the 1992 Constitution, which guarantees that arrested persons must be brought before a court within 48 hours or released unconditionally, as well as Section 96 of the Criminal and Other Offences (Procedure) Act, 1960 (Act 30), which prohibits punitive bail.
“The Supreme Court has consistently held that bail must not be punitive or unreasonable,” he emphasized, referencing landmark cases such as Okoe v. Republic and Martin Kpebu v. Attorney-General (No.2).
Mr. Kodua expressed particular concern over what he described as a climate of fear within the judiciary following the unlawful removal of former Chief Justice Her Ladyship Justice Araba Torkonoo, alleging that judges now fear reprisals if they rule against government interests.
“How can a judge, in the face of the law, set bail at GH¢800 million — an amount more than double what was spent on constructing the Jubilee House? Such a figure is not only outrageous but a clear denial of justice,” he argued.
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