Ghanaian witty editor for court

  1. Posted on Tuesday 20 July 2010 - 17:05
    accreporter
    Image of accreporter
    Kent Mensah, AfricaNews reporter in Accra, Ghana Photo: Mr Dadzie, third from left
    The acting news editor of top radio station Joy FM, Ato Kwamena Dadzie, has been charged for false publication intended to cause fear and harm in the West African nation Ghana. However, media moguls have reacted angrily to the incident that stands to ruin Ghana's press freedom reputation.
    ato dadzie
    According to the station’s online edition – myjoyonline – Dadzie would be prosecuted on Wednesday for refusing to disclose sources of a news story the station aired in which it was reported that members of the Ghana Real Estate Development Agency (GREDA) received threatening text messages to back down on their opposition to a $10 billion housing project that government had entered into with Korea construction firm STX.

    However, Dadzie wrote on his blog that he was bailed up to an equivalent tune of $4, 000 awaiting court appearance date from the police. "All I can say, for now, is that I am unfazed. I am hoping for the best but I’m very prepared for the worst," he stated.

    The Chairman of the National Media Commission Kabral Blay-Amihere said government should desist from using such draconian laws to cow journalists.

    The General Secretary of the Ghana Journalists Association Bright Blewu said he was utterly shocked by the turn of events and hopes the Attorney -General's office would strike out the case.

    The Executive Secretary of the West Africa for Media Foundation Prof Kwame Karikari said: “For us advocates of press freedom, the critical issue for us here is the sudden use of this particular legislation against the media… It is a bad law for press freedom. It is a bad law for free expression.”

Latest News

  1. OPINION: Welcome to African Green Revolution24/05For the past century and a half, Africa has tried various agricultural approaches without much success.
  2. Egyptians vote in historic election23/05Egyptians began voting freely on Wednesday for the first time to pick their president in a wide open election that pits Islamists against men who serv…
  3. Africa Day 2012 - a moment for reflection and…22/0525th May is Africa Day. For many years it has been a celebration of African unity. It dates back to 1963 when the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) …
  4. South Africa's African agenda21/05The Deputy President of the Republic of South Africa, Kgalema Mothlanthe paid a rare visit to Ghana in April at the invitation of John Dramani Mahama …
  5. Women struggle to rinse hunger, poverty stains21/05Just looking at her one clearly appreciates that she is old and frail therefore in need of support for food, clothing and shelter to live comfortably …
  6. Climate Climate change affects migratory birds…21/05Changes in the climate globally have affected the movement of both migratory and resident species of birds, Nature Uganda has said.
  7. Ghana: Foreign retailers cited for currency…18/05The Ghana Union of Traders Association (GUTA) is attributing the sharp depreciation of the Ghana cedi against major currencies to the illegal activiti…
  8. Kenya: Community radio brings succour to…18/05Korogocho, a slum in northeastern Nairobi with 100,000 inhabitants, had many of the ingredients for a political explosion similar to those that rocked…
  9. Veld fires 'flame' Zimbabwe's…16/05Over the years, Zimbabwe has experienced the scourge of veld fires destroying property worth thousands of dollars.
  10. Liberia commends ECOWAS for support14/05The induction training of pioneer Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Volunteers for Liberia kicked off in Monrovia, with the Deputy Mi…
  11. Vanishing Lake Chad puts 30m lives at risk14/05As you approach the Lake Chad basin from Maiduguri, in north-eastern Nigeria, the evidence of despair is telling.
  12. Heavy rains cause havoc in Kenya14/05Heavy Rainfall continued to wreak havoc across the country leading to the suspension of relief food in some parts of the country as most roads in Turk…
  13. Zimbabwe: Growth points lie dormant14/05The Zimbabwean government mooted the concept of growth points in the 1980s as a means of decongesting cities and towns.
  14. Sierra Leone improves in infant mortality11/05Sierra Leone has improved in infant mortality cases according to Save the Children- World Motherhood index 2012 report. The West Africa country descri…
  15. Zimbabwe: Resettled farmers fail to utilize…10/05Resettled farmers in Zimbabwe are failing to utilize land due to inadequate farming inputs and lack of resources.
News archive