A private legal practitioner, Kwame Adofo, has criticised the arrest of opposition figures over public commentary, warning that such actions could undermine free expression in a democratic system.
His remarks follow the arrest of an organiser of the New Patriotic Party in Agona West over a social media post suggesting that “dumsor” — persistent power outages — had returned.
Reacting to the development on The Big Bulletin with Fritz Delanyo Amegashie on Wednesday (13 May), Adofo said he was “shocked” by the arrest, questioning the legal basis for criminalising such commentary.
“Dumsor is in fact back. Anybody who says dumsor is not back is living in a cuckoo land,” he said, arguing that expressing such views should not constitute a criminal offence.
“In a democracy, people are entitled to make comments like this as long as they are not abusive or insulting,” he added.
Authorities have defended the arrests, stating that they are investigating cases of misinformation and statements deemed capable of causing public panic.
But Adofo warned that frequent arrests over speech-related issues could create the perception of a government intolerant of criticism.
“The arrest sounds like a government that is very jittery,” he said, adding that such actions could inadvertently amplify the visibility of those targeted.
“You are only going to encourage other people to do the same for attention,” he said.
On broader claims by the NPP that its members are being politically targeted, Adofo stopped short of making a definitive legal determination but insisted that due process must remain central.
He also rejected suggestions that the party as an institution should be held responsible for the actions of individual members.
“You cannot blame the party for the alleged offences of individuals unless it can be shown they acted on its instructions,” he said.
Adofo further noted that while individuals may challenge their arrests in court, political parties themselves may lack the legal standing to pursue such cases directly.
Despite this, he urged restraint, warning that continued arrests over speech could carry political consequences.
“The more you do it, the more you make those people popular and the more the government becomes unpopular,” he said.
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