Former Minister for Works and Housing and Member of Parliament for Ofoase-Ayirebi, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, has strongly criticised the arrest and detention of New Patriotic Party (NPP) communications strategist Dennis Miracles Aboagye, describing the government’s actions as an attempt to intimidate political opponents.
In a post shared on X, Oppong Nkrumah questioned the circumstances surrounding Aboagye’s arrest, arguing that there was no justification for detaining someone who was readily available to investigators.
“The use of arrests and detention as a tool to intimidate political opponents by this government is just shocking. When a man is easily locatable, there is no reason for which you will arrest and detain him on a Saturday to be investigated the following week,” he wrote.
According to the former minister, such actions risk eroding the country’s democratic gains and weakening public confidence in the rule of law.
He further stated that the precedents being established by the current administration could undermine decades of progress Ghana has made in strengthening its democratic institutions and protecting civil liberties.
“The precedents being set by this government just undermine all the decades of progress we’ve made as a country on matters of rule of law,” he added.
The comments come amid growing political debate over the arrest of Dennis Miracles Aboagye, with members of the opposition NPP accusing the government of using state security agencies to target political figures. The government, however, has consistently maintained that law enforcement agencies operate independently and that investigations are conducted in accordance with the law.
NPP Will Now Resist Suppression Attempts — Justin Kodua Frimpong
The arrest has generated widespread public discussion, with supporters of both the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the opposition NPP offering differing views on the matter. Political observers say the incident is likely to intensify discussions about due process, the independence of state institutions, and the protection of democratic freedoms in Ghana.
As of now, authorities have not publicly provided detailed information regarding the allegations or investigation that led to Aboagye’s arrest.