The Member of Parliament for Suame, John Darko, has accused the government of becoming known for arrests, warning that the trend could undermine Ghana’s democratic credentials and create a perception of intolerance towards dissenting voices.
Speaking on Channel One TV’s The Big Issue, Mr. Darko said the number of arrests recorded under the current administration, particularly involving individuals over comments and alleged offences against public officials, raises concerns about the government’s commitment to freedom of expression.
“The kind of arrests right now, look, this government has become popular for arresting people,” he said.
According to the Suame MP, the government has arrested several individuals in less than two years over issues he described as related to media violations or comments deemed offensive towards the President.
“Somebody posts something and you say it is against the President and then you arrest him. You have arrested 14 people in less than two years. This government is becoming intolerant, and we need to call them out,” Mr. Darko stated.
He urged the media and other stakeholders to speak up against what he described as a growing culture of intolerance, insisting that protecting democratic freedoms must be a collective responsibility.
“The media, everybody in this country must call this government out for becoming intolerant,” he added.
Mr. Darko’s comments come amid growing debate over the arrest and prosecution of individuals linked to the previous New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration, as well as social media commentators accused of making statements deemed offensive or critical of the government and President John Dramani Mahama. Among those recently arrested and prosecuted are TikTokers.
The latest case involves TikToker Camilla Alhassan, who was convicted and sentenced to one year in prison.
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