Arresting citizens over alleged false statements undermines Mahama’s values — Manasseh urges swift action

Investigative journalist Manasseh Azure Awuni says President John Dramani Mahama must intervene in the increasing trend of arresting individuals for allegedly making false claims, arguing that such actions contradict the President’s long-standing reputation for tolerance and free expression.

Manasseh maintained that if public officials believe they have been defamed, the lawful remedy is to pursue civil action—not to cause arrests.

His comments follow the detention of Wendell Nana Yaw Yeboah over claims he allegedly made regarding illegal small-scale mining (galamsey). According to the police, Yeboah was arrested after the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) received a petition filed by Daniel Sasu Omari and two others on behalf of the Ashanti, Eastern, and Western Regional Ministers, requesting a full probe into his allegations.

A police statement issued on Wednesday, November 26, said Yeboah had been placed in custody to assist with investigations and was scheduled to be arraigned on Thursday, November 27, 2025. The police assured the public that the investigation would be conducted lawfully. Yeboah is known to be a member of the Democracy Hub, led by activist and lawyer Oliver Barker-Vormawor.

Manasseh, reacting on Facebook, criticised the basis of the arrest.

“Another person has been arrested for making false claims against the Ashanti, Eastern, and Western Regional Ministers. If the ministers believe they have been defamed, they should file a civil suit. Why are the police involved?” he wrote.

He questioned why the police claim suspects are arrested merely “to assist investigations,” yet they are detained and put before a court almost immediately.

“When the complainants are ministers of state, as in this case, we cannot pretend that the government is not influencing the use of the law on publishing false news,” he added.

Manasseh argued that these actions do not reflect President Mahama’s known openness to free speech. He called on the President to intervene or risk being seen as supporting such arrests. He also urged the Attorney-General to move toward repealing the law being used, comparing its misuse to the old Criminal Libel Law repealed under President Kufuor.

Private legal practitioner and activist Oliver Barker-Vormawor also expressed concern about Yeboah’s arrest. In a Facebook post, he stated that Yeboah, the Head of Mobilisation for Democracy Hub, had been arrested “on the orders of government” over allegations against government appointees.

“Back to default settings,” Oliver remarked in reaction to the news.