‘You’re a Canker to the Judiciary’ – Martin Amidu Slams Judge in Abronye Case

Former Attorney General and first Special Prosecutor, Martin Amidu, has launched a scathing attack on Circuit Court Judge Samuel Bright Acquah, describing him as a “canker to the judiciary” following his controversial ruling against New Patriotic Party (NPP) Bono Regional Chairman, Kwame Baffoe, also known as Abronye DC.

In a strongly worded statement dated September 16, 2025, and sighted by GhanaWeb, Amidu said the judge’s decision to deny Abronye bail for a second time was a “disgrace to the legal profession and the bench.”

According to him, the ruling raised fundamental concerns about how Justice Acquah qualified as a lawyer and later rose to become a Circuit Court judge in Ghana.

“The published certified copy of the ruling… constitutes a disgrace to the legal profession and the Judicial Service of Ghana. The depth of research, learning, the language used, and the writing style are not only porous but unbefitting to be part of a long essay of a final-year law student,” Amidu wrote.

The former Special Prosecutor further argued that the judge’s reasoning violated constitutional provisions on fundamental human rights, including the right to personal liberty, dignity, equality before the law, and presumption of innocence as enshrined in Chapter Five of the 1992 Constitution.

Amidu accused Justice Acquah of consistently breaching citizens’ rights by using “extra-judicial grounds” to deny bail, effectively punishing suspects before trial.

Judge Bright Acquah has faced widespread backlash since September 12, 2025, when he remanded Abronye for a second time despite calls for bail. His ruling, which controversially referenced Idi Amin (wrongly attributing a quote to Robert Mugabe) and George Orwell’s Animal Farm, has been condemned by lawyers, politicians, and civil society.

The Ghana Bar Association and other commentators have acknowledged that Abronye’s conduct was unacceptable but insist the denial of bail over a charge of misbehaviour was equally unjustifiable.

Justice Acquah, who has twice remanded Abronye in recent weeks, is reportedly set to retire from the bench on Tuesday, September 16, 2025.