The Accra High Court has remanded the Bono Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Kwame Baffoe, popularly known as Abronye DC, into police custody for failing to comply with a bail condition requiring him to submit his passport to the registry of the court.

The court on Thursday, June 4, 2026, presided over by Justice Halimah El-Alawa Abdul-Bassit, directed that Abronye remain in custody until he surrenders the passport, after dismissing an application seeking a variation of the bail condition.

In refusing the application, the court held that the accused had failed to comply with a specific order made when he was granted bail and described the conduct as a “flagrant disrespect” for the court.

“The court made specific orders directing the applicant to deposit his passport at the registry of the court. The applicant has failed to comply with the order, claiming that the passport is in the custody of the High Commission of the United Kingdom. This constituted a flagrant disrespect for the court’s order. This court will not condone,” Justice Abdul-Bassit said.

The accused is standing trial on one count of publication of false news and one count of offensive conduct conducive to the breach of the peace.

The charges relate to statements he allegedly made concerning a Circuit Court judge, which the prosecution contends were false and likely to cause public disaffection towards the judiciary.

Bail variation application

Counsel for the accused, Daniel Martey Addo, had prayed the court to vary the bail condition requiring his client to deposit his passport with the court registry.

Moving the application, counsel said the passport was currently in the custody of the United Kingdom High Commission in Ghana and tendered a receipt acknowledging receipt of the travel document.

He conceded that the passport had not been deposited with the court as directed but said the reason had been explained in a supplementary affidavit filed in support of the application.

Mr Addo further urged the court to consider what he described as the educational rights of his client, saying Abronye was expected to resume studies in the United Kingdom on June 14, this year.

He also submitted that the accused might need to travel on health grounds and prayed the court to grant the application.

Prosecution opposes

The prosecution, led by Principal State Attorney Joshua Sackey, opposed the application and urged the court to dismiss it.

Mr Sackey argued that the conditions attached to the bail granted by the court were mandatory and that the accused had failed to comply with them.

According to him, the order admitting Abronye to bail expressly required him to surrender his travelling documents to the registrar of the court and not travel outside the jurisdiction without the court's permission.

He argued that the passport ought to have been deposited with the registry before it could be said that the bail conditions had been properly executed.

The prosecutor told the court that Abronye was granted bail on May 21, 2026, but the receipt exhibited by the defence showed that the United Kingdom High Commission received the passport on May 25, 2026, four days after the court had granted bail.

“That shows that the applicant had custody of his passport on May 21 but refused to hand it over to the registrar of the court as part of the bail conditions,” he submitted.

Mr Sackey further argued that the accused's educational rights had not been infringed upon because he could seek the court's permission to travel if necessary.

He also prayed the court to direct the accused to surrender the passport immediately upon its release by the High Commission.

Background

Abronye was granted bail on May 21, 2026, in the sum of GH¢100,000 with two sureties to be justified.

As part of the bail conditions, he was ordered to report to the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) Headquarters once every two weeks, surrender his travelling documents to the registry of the court and not travel outside the jurisdiction without the court’s permission.