Former Ashanti Regional Secretary of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Mr. Pyne, has criticised what he describes as excessive bail conditions in recent corruption-related cases, joking that “maybe they would have to bring Jesus Christ himself as a bail condition.”
Speaking on Asempa FM’s Ekosii Sen on Tuesday, Mr. Pyne expressed concern over the GH¢800 million bail imposed on former National Service Authority boss, Osei Assibey Antwi, along with six sureties.
“Imagine my own brother Osei Assibey — GH¢800 million bail and six sureties to be justified. That is a lot. We may laugh about it, but it is no joke,” he lamented.
He argued that while the state must uphold accountability, bail conditions should not be punitive or unrealistic, noting that there are alternative ways to ensure suspects do not abscond.
“I believe bail conditions shouldn’t be punitive because we can even take people’s passports. There’s no way someone can travel with a passport or even apply for a new one without their biometric data showing up,” Mr. Pyne explained.
In a satirical tone, he suggested that if such trends continue, the next NPP government might as well launch a “One District, One EOCO Office” initiative to match the scale of prosecutions.
“With what is happening now, maybe when NPP comes into power, we’ll build EOCO offices in every district, office by office, department by department,” he quipped.
Mr. Pyne further urged authorities to be “measured and fair in everything” as they pursue justice, warning that excessive bail terms could erode public confidence in the legal process.
Source: Gertrude Otchere
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