Alfred Ababio Kumi, a New Patriotic Party (NPP) youth activist and former parliamentary aspirant for the Adentan Constituency—widely known as “Adenta
Alfred Ababio Kumi, a New Patriotic Party (NPP) youth activist and former parliamentary aspirant for the Adentan Constituency—widely known as “Adenta Kumi”—has been released from the custody of the National Intelligence Bureau (NIB) after being charged with the publication of false news.
His release on Friday, May 23, 2025, followed high-level intervention by the Minority Leader in Parliament, Alexander Afenyo-Markin and NPP General Secretary, Justin Kodua Frimpong.
Kumi’s arrest, which took place during the early hours of Friday, sparked political controversy and raised broader concerns about freedom of expression and the independence of the judiciary.
The NPP has condemned the arrest, accusing the government led by President John Mahama and the National Democratic Congress (NDC) of using state security agencies to intimidate opposition voices.
According to his legal counsel, Clement Opoku Gyamfi, Kumi was formally charged with “publication of false news” after statements he made on social media and during a radio interview went viral.
The controversial statements were linked to a petition Kumi submitted to the President, demanding the dissolution of the special committee investigating the potential removal of Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo.
In the petition, Kumi alleged serious misconduct by members of the judiciary involved in the committee.
He claimed that on May 15, 2025, shortly after the committee held its inaugural sitting, three judges—Justices Gabriel Pwamang, Henrietta Mensa-Bonsu (referred to in error in earlier reports as Adibu-Asiedu), and Supreme Court Justice Yonni Kulendi—were seen dining with legal practitioner Thaddeus Sory at Santoku Restaurant in Accra’s Airport Residential Area.
Kumi further alleged that the judges were overheard discussing matters pertaining to the ongoing judicial petition, thereby compromising the perceived neutrality of the committee. These claims were circulated on X (formerly Twitter) and accompanied by what he described as video evidence of the alleged meeting.
The footage, which has since gone viral, has drawn both skepticism and support from sections of the public, with many questioning its authenticity.
The arrest has taken a personal toll on Kumi’s family.
The NPP’s General Secretary, Justin Frimpong Kodua, revealed that Kumi’s wife reportedly suffered a miscarriage following a dramatic dawn raid on their home by security operatives during the arrest.
The incident has reignited debate around the delicate balance between accountability, judicial integrity, and freedom of speech in Ghana’s democratic space.
While supporters of Kumi view his arrest as a targeted clampdown on dissent, others argue that the publication of potentially misleading or unverified claims, especially against high-ranking judicial officers, must be treated seriously to safeguard institutional credibility.
Following his release, Kumi was seen in high spirits, exchanging pleasantries with party officials and parliamentary allies.
His legal team has indicated readiness to contest the charges in court and maintain that his actions were in the public interest.
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