The Member of Parliament for Asutifi North, Ebenezer Kwaku Addo, has been barred by the court from leaving the Greater Accra Region without notifying investigators as part of his bail conditions.
The directive follows his alleged involvement in the Hwidiem galamsey clash, for which he faces provisional charges of assault on a public officer, unlawful damage, and rioting with weapons.
Addo was arraigned on Tuesday, November 4, 2025, and granted bail in the sum of GHC150,000. He is also required to report to investigators once every two weeks until the order is revoked or the trial begins.
The court further cautioned him against any conduct that could frustrate ongoing investigations.
According to the prosecution, led by Chief Inspector Alex Odonkor, the case has assumed national importance and is now being handled by the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) Headquarters.
The prosecution argued that the MP’s political influence could interfere with investigations, citing videos circulating on social media allegedly showing scenes from the incident. They also raised concerns that he might tamper with witnesses or evidence.
However, the defence team opposed the prosecution’s request for remand, insisting that the accused is entitled to the constitutional presumption of innocence.
They noted that Addo has family responsibilities, including caring for a newborn baby, and assured the court that he has a permanent residence in Accra and will fully cooperate with investigators.
The court granted bail under strict conditions and ordered Addo to reappear on December 1, 2025. Other suspects, including Zakaria Yakubu and one Alex, are currently at large.
Background
The legislator’s charges stem from an alleged obstruction of an anti-illegal mining (galamsey) operation conducted by the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS) near Bronikrom–Hwidiem in the Ahafo Region.
The incident, which occurred on Saturday, November 1, 2025, reportedly involved a confrontation between a group of youth and a NAIMOS task force during a raid on illegal mining sites. Addo is accused of instigating the attack on the task force—an allegation he has strongly denied.
In his response, the Asutifi North MP said his presence at the scene was not to obstruct the operation but to defuse tensions and maintain public order.
Source: Citinewsroom
