Samson Lardy Anyenini is a lawyer and journalist
Lawyer and journalist Samson Lardy Anyenini has questioned the use of criminal laws in cases involving speech, questioning recent police actions linked to social media comments.
Speaking on the “My Take” segment on Newsfile on JoyNews, he cited an instance in which police reportedly invited an individual after seeing a WhatsApp status.
“To lock a man up for three years or five years over a WhatsApp status,” he said, as monitored by MyNewsGh.
Building on his concerns, he referred to a case where a comment described a public official as "a disgrace and not fit to be MCE." According to him, while such statements might raise civil issues like defamation, they should not attract criminal sanctions.
Anyenini questioned why such laws are still being applied, even as the government moves to reform them.
“How can a government that is seeking to repeal section 208… allow an increasing resort to these repressive laws?” he asked.
He also addressed the President directly. “Mr President, your silence on the recent surge in these arrests is deafening,” he said, adding, “Your silence promotes the impunity we see.”
According to him, some of these cases are being treated as criminal when they could be handled as civil matters.
“The police foist a crime even where a civil tort of defamation would struggle to find a foothold,” he said.
He called for urgent reforms. “We must abolish these provisions speedily or amend the laws to fully comply with modern democratic standards,” he stated.
“Let’s stop using the police as a private discipline guard for sensitive politicians,” he said.
“If we do not stop this slide… we will soon find out the only thing fit for purpose in Ghana is our silence,” he concluded.
Background
A resident of Gambaga in the North East Region of Ghana was reportedly arrested in late April 2026 following a WhatsApp message questioning the fitness of a Municipal Chief Executive (MCE).
According to a police letter, the user wrote in a WhatsApp group: “disgrace MCE, does he even fit to be an MCE self? If not for Nalerigu/Gambaga”.
Understanding stress and managing it the right way
Copyright © 1994 - 2026 GhanaWeb. All rights reserved.
