Private legal practitioner Martin Kpebu has criticised the arrest of individuals accused of insulting the government, arguing that the number of such arrests under President John Dramani Mahama’s administration in its first one-and-a-half years already surpasses those recorded during the eight-year tenure of former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.
He described the situation as a poor record for the Mahama administration and called for a national conversation on how to address offensive public commentary without resorting to arrests.
Mr Kpebu argued that arrests were not an appropriate response to insults directed at the President or government officials.
Although he acknowledged that insulting public officials was wrong, he said the state could not arrest everyone who made offensive remarks.
Speaking on TV3’s Key Points on Saturday, August 8, Kpebu said, “For one and a half years, this current government has arrested more people on matters of free speech than Akufo-Addo’s eight years. It is a bad record for John Mahama; they should be careful. Mahama should pay attention.
“These things start small, before he realises all the goodwill is gone. Let the people talk. During Akufo-Addo’s tenure, Mahama called him and others ‘Akyem sakawa mafia’, who arrested him? he asked.
Mr Kpebu cited instances where former President Jerry John Rawlings and other public figures made harsh comments about political leaders without being arrested.
He suggested alternative measures, including fines or public naming and shaming where appropriate, as possible ways of dealing with offensive comments instead of arrests.
“We said Akufo-Addo was stone-deaf; ‘mampam’ did he arrest me? Nana Yaa Jantuah called Akufo-Addo Nebuchadnezzar; she popularised it, Allow Ghanaians to talk,” he said.
“Late President Jerry John Rawlings called former President J.A. Kufuor while in office a thief. He didn’t arrest J.J. You can’t shut people down by arrests. I think the government should sit up. As for the insult, there is nothing you can do; it’s part of accountability,” he stressed.
His comments come in the wake of the NPP’s “Democracy Under Attack” demonstration on Thursday, August 6, which the party said was organised to defend the rule of law, constitutional governance and democratic accountability.
The NPP has accused the government of political persecution, selective justice and abuse of state institutions, allegations the government has rejected.
