Apaak takes on Akufo-Addo, GBA, others for Afoko’s continuous detention

The Member of Parliament (MP) for Builsa South, Dr Clement Apaak, has criticised the continuous detention of Gregory Afoko despite being granted bail by a court.

The opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) MP has called out the President, the Ghana Bar Association (GBA), the Amnesty International and other state institutions for their silence on what he describes as brazen lawlessness.

Gregory Afoko, one of the suspects alleged to have killed the Upper East Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Adams Mahama, in 2015, was granted bail in March this year.

Photo (above): Mr Afoko is a key suspect in the murder of Adams Mahama.

The Criminal Division of the Accra High Court admitted Mr Afoko to bail in the sum of ¢500,000 with two sureties, one of which must be justified.

As part of the bail conditions, the court presided over by Mr Justice George Buadi, also ordered Afoko to report himself to the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service every two weeks.

However, the suspect still remains in custody.

In the post, Dr Apaak asked, “Should the Ghana Bar Association (GBA) not be speaking out on this continuous detention of Gregory Afoko in spite of the Court order to release him? Should Organized labour not be speaking out? Should the Christian and Muslim Councils not be speaking out? Where is Amnesty International in all this? Should the Council of State not be advising President NADAA and his NPP to respect the rights of Gregory Afoko?”

He concludes: “We owe it to ourselves to speak out against this injustice. Enough is enough. The government/state orchestrated and led lawlessness and impunity must stop. #ReleaseGregoryAfokoNo.”

Read the full Facebook post below:

Gregory Afoko – folks, let’s call a spade a spade, the levels of lawlessness and impunity in Ghana is beyond belief. And what is most worrying is that public/government officials and institutions are most culpable.

Are we still a nation governed by the rule of law? Are we still respectful of separation of powers? Is our constitution still the Supreme law of the land? Didn’t our President swear to uphold the constitution? Doesn’t the constitution grant and protect the rights of every citizen?

Is our President still holding on to the claims that he is a human rights advocate who believes in the rule of law? Then why the continuous detention of Gregory Afoko even after a Court order for his release? How can Courts be defied by a government in a constitutional democratic dispensation?

To think that such brazen injustice has been orchestrated and sustained by NADAA and his NPP government is not only revealing but is also a clear sign of increasing danger to our liberties and rights as enshrined in the 1992 constitution.

Today it is Gregory Afoko, tomorrow it could be me, you or another citizen. Yet the voices that should speak truth to power in the national interest are mute.

Should the Ghana Bar Association (GBA) not be speaking out on this continuous detention of Gregory Afoko in spite of the Court order to release him? Should Organized labour not be speaking out? Should the Christian and Muslim Councils not be speaking out? Where is Amnesty International in all this? Should the Council of State not be advising President NADAA and his NPP to respect the rights of Gregory Afoko?

We owe it to ourselves to speak out against this injustice. Enough is enough. The government/state orchestrated and led lawlessness and impunity must stop. #ReleaseGregoryAfokoNo

I remain a citizen.

Dr. Clement Abasinaab Apaak

M.P, Builsa South

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