You’re Taking Ghana Back To Dark Ages By Arresting Journalists– Bagbin to Police
Alban Bagbin, the Speaker of Parliament, has slammed the Ghana Police Service (GPS) for the recent arrests of certain journalists in the country.
The Speaker claims that the development harkens back to the country’s dark days of media persecution.
“The allegations of misreporting, allegations that can be considered as misdemeanors you proceed to arrest the person hijack the person by the dress the got the person into cells. That belongs to yesteryears not today. Those who know the writings of journalists when it offends them, know what to do. They have recourse to the law. Those are civil matters they are not criminal, I’m not for a moment holding brief for irresponsible and unprofessional conduct of journalists,” he said.
“I am simply saying that there is a cure in our current legal regime. The tendency on the part of the Police to arrest journalists for what they describe as mistakes is old school. It’s turning this country into the dark ages of media persecution,” Mr. Bagbin warned during the inauguration of the Media Centre in Parliament on Friday 18th February 2022.
The arrest of certain journalists by the police recently has aroused concerns about free expression.
Captain Smart, a radio and television host, was taken into jail after being granted bail by a court.
Another radio host, Oheneba Boamah Bennie of Power Fm/TV XYZ, was arrested last Tuesday for allegedly making anti-President comments. Kwabena Bobie Ansah, an Accra Fm host, was detained after his nightly program, charged in court, and granted bail.
“I dare say that any attempt by any politician hiding behind the Police institution to act the ethical and professionalism or the regulator of journalism practice in this country is not only a pretender but also megalomania. The police cannot assume responsibility for responsible practice in Ghana by scanning newspapers and news and arresting journalists for errors and misrepresentations. I don’t know how our Police CID was trained that if there is an allegation made against a citizen the first thing is to arrest that citizen. I don’t know where they got that law from. We invite the citizen and the citizen would voluntarily appear before you and discuss the situation but when the citizen I refusing or failing to do so. And you have evidence that the citizen wants to escape from the ambit of the law that you can proceed and arrest the citizen,” he added.
