Senior Nursing Officer Salomey Awiti Baffoe has been in custody since 17 September 2026, after being remanded by the Adentan Circuit Court on a misdemeanor charge of abetment in the 'Ghana Jollof' case. Her lawyers sought bail at the Accra High Court, but the application was rejected on 24 September 2026. Baffoe, a mother of three, has now spent over a week behind bars. The case has sparked concerns about fairness in pre-trial detention for ordinary Ghanaians caught up in high-profile cases.
The 'Ghana Jollof' case has garnered significant attention, with many questioning the justification for Baffoe's continued detention. Eastern Regional NPP Women's Organiser Regina Bempong has publicly called on the Attorney-General and the Police Criminal Investigations Department (CID) to intervene and secure Baffoe's release. Bempong argues that Baffoe's detention is unjustified, given that she faces only a misdemeanor charge, which is generally considered less serious than a felony and typically bailable under Ghanaian law.
Bempong has also pushed back against concerns about interference with electronic evidence, pointing out that police have already seized Baffoe's two mobile phones and accessed them. This, she argues, undercuts any justification for keeping Baffoe in custody on those grounds. Baffoe's lawyer, Nana Agyei Baffour Awuah, has filed a petition with the Chief Justice seeking a Court of Appeal hearing on the matter concerning her liberty.
Bempong is urging the Chief Justice to urgently take up the petition, and has also called on the Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association (GRNMA), the International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA), and other civil society organisations to add their voices to the case. The intervention comes against the backdrop of a string of recent controversies over arrests and detentions involving political and legal actors in Ghana.
The case has raised broader concerns about how arrests, remands, and bail decisions are being handled in politically sensitive matters. Chale News has previously covered claims of selective outrage from the Ghana Bar Association over an MP's arrest attempt, as well as allegations that a botched arrest attempt by EOCO was used to divert attention from a cocaine scandal.
Baffoe's detention has sparked concerns about fairness in pre-trial detention for ordinary Ghanaians caught up in high-profile cases. No date has been given for when the Chief Justice might act on the petition seeking a Court of Appeal hearing on Baffoe's liberty, nor has a timeline been provided for when investigations into the wider 'Ghana Jollof' case might conclude.
For now, Baffoe remains in custody, with her supporters arguing that her prolonged detention over a misdemeanor charge raises serious concerns about the justice system. The NPP Women's Organiser's intervention highlights the need for a more nuanced approach to pre-trial detention, particularly in high-profile cases.
Key points
- NPP Women's Organiser Regina Bempong has called on the Attorney-General and Police to secure the release of nurse Salomey Awiti Baffoe.
- Baffoe has been detained since 17 September 2026 on a misdemeanor charge of abetment in the 'Ghana Jollof' case.
- The case has raised concerns about fairness in pre-trial detention for ordinary Ghanaians caught up in high-profile cases.
