The High Court’s decision to deny bail to Salomey Awiti Baffoe has been criticised by criminologist and lecturer at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Dr Jones Opoku-Ware, who described the continued detention as “high-handedness.”
The court on Thursday, September 24, refused a bail application filed on behalf of the 40-year-old Senior Nursing Officer from Techiman after the prosecution opposed her release.
The prosecution argued that Ms Baffoe is still needed to assist with ongoing investigations into the case, which is linked to the high-profile “Ghana Jollof” TikTok controversy.
In its ruling, the court said the investigation is cyber-related and that releasing Ms Baffoe at this stage could create a real risk of interference with witnesses. It subsequently directed the Republic to expedite its investigations.
Reacting to the ruling on JoyNews’ The Pulse on Thursday, Dr Jones Opoku-Ware said he disagreed with the court’s decision, particularly because the offence is a misdemeanour.
“I want to disagree with the court because I feel that for whatever it is worth, this is not the kind of crime that this lady should be held even beyond the mandatory 48-hour period,” he said.
He argued that suspects facing misdemeanour charges should ordinarily be considered for bail, rather than being kept in custody for prolonged periods.
“How much more misdemeanour crimes?” he asked.
Dr Jones Opoku-Ware said the continued detention of Ms Baffoe amounted to what he described as excessive use of state power.
“I feel that the lady is being handed too much of high-handedness, and we have to be very careful about the way we are applying the law,” he stated.
He urged the authorities to ensure that the law is applied fairly and that the rights of citizens are respected in the handling of criminal cases.
“I totally disagree with the position of the court,” he added.
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