Minister for Education and Member of Parliament for Tamale South, Haruna Iddrisu, has condemned what he describes as growing abuses of power by some state institutions in the handling of bail for accused persons.
Speaking at the funeral rites of Dr Mahama Sayibu on Thursday, May 28, 2026, the senior NDC lawmaker accused the Ghana Police Service, the courts, and the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) of using bail as a tool of punishment rather than a legal right.
“In Ghana today, we have seen excesses; excesses from the Police, excesses from the Court, excesses from EOCO denying persons bail, and using bail as punishment for accused persons. That is not law,” he said.
Mr Iddrisu stressed that it is a fundamental legal principle that accused persons should not be arbitrarily denied bail or subjected to excessively harsh conditions, noting that such practices violate Ghana’s constitutional and statutory provisions.
He referenced Section 96(3) and (4) of the Criminal and Other Offences (Procedure) Act, 1960 (Act 30), which requires bail conditions to be reasonable and based on the circumstances of each case, as well as Article 19(2)(c) of the 1992 Constitution, which guarantees the presumption of innocence until proven guilty.
“Don’t deny an accused person bail or ask an accused person to pay excessively as a punishment,” he urged. “Every person is presumed innocent until after a fair trial.”
Mr Iddrisu called for systemic reforms and appealed to all justice sector institutions to exercise restraint and fairness when dealing with bail applications.
“I expect that in Ghana today we must end the high-handedness and excessiveness in matters relating to bail and its denial and its charges,” he stated.
His remarks come amid increasing public debate over bail practices in the country, with legal experts and civil society groups raising concerns about overly restrictive conditions that effectively keep some accused persons in custody despite being granted bail.
The comments also follow similar concerns earlier expressed by the Minister for the Interior, Muntaka Mohammed-Mubarak, who has called for reforms to address perceived abuses in remand and bail procedures.
Editor:
Obiri-Yeboah
