President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo
A 40-year-old tile setter, Raphael Okoe Ankrah, also known as Okoe Killer, has been remanded into police custody by an Accra Circuit Court for insulting President Nana Akuffo-Addo.
Ankrah was arrested after the police came across a video on social media in which he used highly offensive language directed towards the President. He has pleaded not guilty to the charge of offensive conduct conducive to breaches of the peace.
Presiding over the case, Mr. Samuel Bright Acquah ordered that Ankrah be brought back to court on May 30, 2023. Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Maxwell Oppong informed the court that Ankrah resided in Jamestown.
ASP Oppong stated that on May 15, 2023, the police became aware of a viral video in which Ankrah was seen insulting the President. The offensive nature of the video caused public agitation, leading to Ankrah’s arrest. The police’s Intelligence Directorate located and apprehended Ankrah at his hideout in James Town, Accra.
During the investigation, Ankrah admitted to the offense in his cautioned statement. Defense Counsel Mr. Yaw Dankwa requested bail for Ankrah, arguing that the charge did not align with the facts presented. He claimed that the video could have been manipulated and insisted on its presentation and scrutiny in court before drawing conclusions. Mr. Dankwa emphasized that Ankrah, a responsible father with a wife who had recently given birth, posed no flight risk and had individuals of good reputation willing to stand as sureties for him.
The prosecution opposed bail, requesting that the accused be sent to a psychiatric hospital, as Ankrah had indicated to the police that he was not in the right state of mind. ASP Oppong argued that Ankrah’s utterances in the video put his life in danger within his community, making police custody a safer option.
Regarding Ankrah’s alleged lack of a fixed place of abode, the prosecution claimed that he was residing as a squatter in an unfinished building. However, Ankrah’s lawyer disputed this, asserting that there were no such uncompleted structures in James Town.
