By Ashiadey Dotse
Private legal practitioner Martin Kpebu has alleged that efforts to deny Gregory Afoko bail were influenced by former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.
Speaking on TV3’s Key Points show on February 22, 2025, Kpebu argued that Afoko was consistently denied bail during Akufo-Addo’s tenure, but now that he has left office, the same court has granted the bail. According to him, this suggests that political interference played a role in the initial refusal.
“We voted for him, and this is what we got. From every indication, Akufo-Addo was behind the effort to deny Gregory Afoko bail. That was his handiwork,” Kpebu stated.
He further questioned why the bail was now granted, asking, “What has changed? What has changed?” This, he said, raises concerns about political influence over the judiciary.
Kpebu also pointed out that a judge who previously granted Afoko bail was later transferred, similar to what happened to another judge who granted bail to Oliver Barker-Vormawor. “Have you seen why we keep saying we need to make the judiciary independent of the President?” he asked.
According to Kpebu, the judiciary is suffering from excessive political control, and steps must be taken to ensure its independence. He welcomed Afoko’s release but emphasized that political interference in judicial processes undermines democracy.
“It is good that Gregory Afoko is finally coming out, but the troubling sign is that presidential interference in the judiciary is a threat to our democracy,” Kpebu concluded.
