Days of Defaming People and Walking Free Are Over – Lawyer Mintah Fires at NPP Critics

Private legal practitioner Isaac Mintah Larbi has defended recent arrests linked to alleged defamatory comments, insisting that the era of reckless political attacks without consequences is over.

Speaking on the Kessben Maakye show on Zoom, Lawyer Mintah, in an interview, accused some members of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) of politicizing lawful security operations for partisan gain.

According to him, comments by Nana Boakye, popularly known as “Nana B”, were merely attempts to score political points rather than address the substance of the issue.
He argued that previous National Democratic Congress (NDC) administrations suffered significant reputational damage due to unchecked defamatory attacks, a situation he said contributed to the party losing power in the 2016 and 2020 general elections.
“The NDC earlier administration tolerated a lot of defamation, which dented the image of the party and eventually led it into opposition,” he stated.

Lawyer Mintah stressed that the current administration would not allow such conduct to continue unchecked.
“This time round, we will not let it slip to our detriment. If they stop the derogatory and defamatory comments, the arrests will cease,” he warned.

He rejected claims that the arrests were being carried out in a “Rambo-style” manner, insisting that security agencies had acted professionally and in response to lawful invitations.
“I cannot recall any Rambo-style arrest. Those arrested were invited properly. The police work with intelligence in their operations, and besides, nobody was assaulted during or after the arrest,” he insisted.

The legal practitioner also cautioned against portraying Ghana negatively before the international community over internal political disputes.
“Ghana is a sovereign country, and running to the diplomatic community for help cannot change anything. You cannot go abroad and instruct them on how to make an arrest. It only makes them look down on us as a country,” he noted.

Lawyer Mintah further called on the NPP leadership to caution supporters against inflammatory public commentary to avoid further arrests.
“I entreat the NPP to call their people to order and educate them to stay away from trouble,” he added.

He concluded with a strong warning that individuals who engage in defamatory attacks would now be held accountable under the law.
“Gone are the days when people defamed others and walked scot-free. This time round, we will hold them accountable,” he declared.