No Law Stops Anyone From Killing Cows – Lawyer Kwabena Boateng Says Alleged Insult Against Mahama Is Not a Crime

Member of Parliament for Ejisu, Lawyer Kwabena Boateng, has argued that the alleged defamatory remarks made against President John Dramani Mahama do not constitute a criminal offence under Ghanaian law.

Speaking on the matter via a zoom interview on Kessben TV’s Digest show, Boateng stressed that while the comments could potentially give rise to a civil defamation suit, they fall short of the legal threshold required for criminal prosecution.
He explained that in civil defamation cases, anyone who republishes defamatory material may also be held liable.
“In civil remedy for defamation, there is what we call republication, which attracts equal punishment to publication,” he said.

According to the Ejisu MP, the alleged comments made by the woman in question cannot be classified as a criminal offence against the President.
“What the lady did was not a criminal offence against the first gentleman of the land,” Boateng stated.

He further clarified that criminal liability only arises where false publications are capable of threatening public order or national interest.
“If there is a publication of falsehood that can corrupt public health, public peace or national security, it amounts to a criminal offence,” he explained.

Boateng also observed that occupying the highest office in the country naturally exposes the President to criticism and insults.
“As a president, the likelihood that someone would insult the president is high,” he noted.
Addressing the specific allegation at the centre of the controversy, Boateng argued that no law in Ghana prohibits the killing of cattle.
“The lady in question did not say the president killed a pregnant woman for sacrifice but cattle, and there is no law in Ghana that bars the president or anyone from killing cows,” he said.

His comments come as public debate intensifies over the limits of free speech, defamation laws, and the extent to which public officials should be protected from offensive or controversial remarks.