Tamale South MP and Minister of Education, Haruna Iddrisu, has raised concerns over what he described as growing excesses in Ghana’s bail administration, warning that denial of bail must never be used as punishment for accused persons.
Speaking at the funeral of the late Mahama Shaibu in Tamale on Thursday, May 28, 2026, Mr. Iddrisu emphasized the constitutional principles of fair trial and presumption of innocence.
“We must uphold the principle of fair trial for every accused person as a country,” he stated.
The former Minority Leader criticized law enforcement agencies and judicial bodies, including the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO), for imposing excessive bail conditions and prolonging bail denial. He argued that such practices undermine the legal doctrine that an accused person remains innocent until proven guilty.
“In Ghana today, we have seen excesses excesses from the police, excesses from the court, excesses from EOCO. Denying persons bail and using bail as punishment for accused persons is not law,” he said.
Mr. Iddrisu urged reforms to end what he termed “high-handedness and excessiveness” in bail administration, stressing that justice must not be compromised by punitive bail measures.
The remarks were delivered during Islamic prayers at the funeral of Mahama Shaibu, a respected journalist and academic. Shaibu, who worked as Joy FM’s Northern Regional correspondent before lecturing at the University of Development Studies and serving on the National Communications Authority board, passed away shortly before this year’s Eid-ul-Adha celebrations.
Mr. Iddrisu described him as a close personal friend and paid tribute to his contributions to journalism and education.
