Bail is being weaponised against suspects – Tampuli on EOCO’s hefty bail conditions

The “weaponisation” of bail by Government investigative agencies, specifically the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO), is Becoming worrisome, as stated by New Patriotic Party (NPP) member of parliament for Gushegu constituency, Alhassan Sulemana Tampuli.

Explaining on JoyNews’ Newsfile on November 22, 2025, Alhassan Sulemana Tampuli claimed that bail, which is meant to safeguard the ligal freedom of accused persons, is being used as a tool to bully or compel Individuals being probed.

“It appears that bail is now more or less being weaponised, used as a weapon to oppress suspects or persons of interest with some very wondrous bail terms and conditions,” he said.

In his view, multiple investigative agencies such as the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP), EOCO, the National Intelligence Bureau (NIB), and the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) manage significant cases, but EOCO, in particular, has received public backlash for imposing strict bail requirements.

He compared EOCO’s way of operating with that of the OSP, claiming the Special Prosecutor hardly ever requires on Keeping accused persons in custody.

“OSP, you will hardly find any instance where OSP will insist that somebody must be held in custody,” he said, pointing to broadcaster Paul Adom-Otchere as an example of a high-profile figure who was not subjected to tough bail requirements.

Tampuli, who acts as the Deputy Senior Member of Parliament’s Constitutional and Legal Affairs Committee, also raised concerns about why self-recognisance bail, once commonly applied, seems to have disappeared.

“We were in this country for the eight years that NPP was in power. Can you mention one person who was held in custody because he couldn’t meet any bail conditions?” he asked.

He condemned the claims that bail fees should match to supposed monetary losses, maintaining that some accused persons are being kept in custody even when their cases have nothing to do with missing funds.

“There are people who have been held in custody unrelated to any loss of money. Why are you still holding them in custody? What are you trying to recover from them?” he said.