NDC Organizer granted bail after conviction for election threats

A Sowutuom branch organizer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Mohammed Ibrahim, who was sentenced to four years in prison for making threats ahead of the December 7, 2024, elections, has been granted bail by the Court of Appeal.

The court granted Ibrahim bail in the sum of GH¢100,000 with one surety, pending the outcome of his appeal. 

The three-member panel, led by Justice Senyo Dzamefe, ruled that there was an error on the face of the record. As part of his bail conditions, Ibrahim is required to report to the Regional Crime Officer every two weeks.

Ibrahim's initial attempt to secure bail pending appeal was rejected by the High Court. However, his lawyer, Nii Kpakpo Samuah Addo, escalated the case to the Court of Appeal, which overturned the lower court’s decision.

In 2024, an Accra Circuit Court sentenced Ibrahim to four years imprisonment after he was found guilty of multiple charges, including publishing false news with intent to cause fear and alarm, issuing threats of harm, and engaging in offensive conduct likely to breach the peace.

He received three years for publishing false news, four years for threatening harm, and three years for offensive conduct, with the sentences set to run concurrently.

According to the prosecution, Ibrahim identified himself as the leader of a revolutionary group called “Ka na wu,” which translates to “Speak and die” in Twi.

On September 3, 2024, a video of Ibrahim wearing a red military-style beret surfaced on social media platforms, including Facebook, X, and TikTok. In the footage, he alleged that police officers in the Ashanti Region, acting under the orders of Inspector General of Police Dr. George Akuffo Dampare and then Minister of the Interior Henry Quartey, were enlisting fake officers to target citizens during the elections.

He further threatened that in the event of war, he and his associates knew the Minister’s residence and would take action against him. Additionally, he vowed to incite violence during the elections.

Following these statements, the Ghana Police Service declared Ibrahim wanted on September 10, 2024. He was subsequently arrested, and a search of his residence in Sowutuom led to the retrieval of the red beret he wore in the viral video.