Minister for Education and Member of Parliament for Tamale South, Haruna Iddrisu, has criticised what he describes as growing abuses of power by some state institutions in the handling of bail for accused persons.

Speaking at the funeral rites of Dr Mahama Sayibu on Thursday, May 28, 2026, the senior NDC lawmaker accused the Ghana Police Service, the courts, and the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) of using bail as a punitive tool rather than a legal safeguard.

“In Ghana today, we have seen excesses; excesses from the Police, excesses from the Court, excesses from EOCO denying persons bail, and using bail as punishment for accused persons. That is not law,” he said.

Mr Iddrisu stressed that it is a settled legal principle that accused persons should not be arbitrarily denied bail or subjected to excessively harsh conditions, adding that such practices contradict Ghana’s constitutional and statutory provisions.

Under Section 96(3) and (4) of the Criminal and Other Offences (Procedure) Act, 1960 (Act 30), bail conditions must be determined concerning the circumstances of each case and must not be excessive or punitive. Article 19(2)(c) of the 1992 Constitution also guarantees the presumption of innocence until proven guilty.

He reiterated that this principle must be reflected in practice.

“Don’t deny an accused person bail or ask an accused person to pay excessively as a punishment,” he urged. “Every person is presumed innocent until after a fair trial.”

Mr Iddrisu further called for systemic reforms and urged all institutions involved in the administration of justice to exercise restraint and fairness in the use of bail conditions.

“I expect that in Ghana today we must end the high-handedness and excessiveness in matters relating to bail and its denial and its charges,” he stated.

His remarks come amid growing public debate over bail practices in Ghana, with legal commentators and civil society voices expressing concern about restrictive conditions that leave some accused persons in custody despite being granted bail.

The comments also follow similar concerns raised by the Minister for the Interior, Muntaka Mohammed-Mubarak, who has called for reforms to address what he describes as abuses in remand and bail processes.

Read Also: Muntaka decries excessive remand and stringent bail conditions, calls for reforms