Legal practitioner and Concerned Democrat Lawyer Charles Owusu Juanah has condemned the arrest of citizens who criticize President John Mahama, accusing the NDC government of fostering a pattern of intimidation that threatens Ghana’s democratic gains.

Speaking at a press conference, Lawyer Owusu said the recent actions against NPP members represent an attack on free speech and urged President Mahama to halt what he described as politically motivated arrests.

“Ghanaians did not fight military dictatorship, political intimidation, and authoritarianism only to return to a culture of fear under constitutional rule,” he said.

Owusu stressed that democracy depends on the ability to scrutinize those in power, including judges, ministers, presidents, police officers, and state institutions. He warned that the current trend under the Mahama government risks eroding those checks.

According to him, no president should govern as though criticism is a criminal offense, and no government should weaponize state institutions against political opponents. “No democracy survives when citizens begin to whisper instead of speak freely,” he added.

Directing his remarks to officers in the police service, intelligence agencies, and other state institutions, Owusu urged caution in carrying out politically sensitive directives.

“The Constitution protects lawful conduct, not unlawful obedience,” he said. He cautioned that officers who unlawfully arrest, brutalize, intimidate, or violate citizens’ rights under political instructions could face personal civil and criminal liability in the future.

“Following orders has never been an absolute legal defense under constitutional jurisprudence,” he noted, adding that governments and political power change hands, but unlawful conduct leaves permanent legal consequences.

State officers, he said, must remember that their primary oath is to the Constitution of Ghana, not to a political party, a sitting president, or any temporary government.

Lawyer Owusu also pointed to global precedent, stating that history shows public officers who abuse power under political influence often face legal accountability after regime changes.

He called on the government to adopt a hands-off approach and allow free political expression without fear of reprisal.

Report by Bernard K Dadzie Greater Accra Region