Arrests of journalists defeat purposes for the repeal of the Criminal Libel Law – Suhuyini
Tamale North, Member of Parliament Alhassn Suhuyini has suggested that Ghana is returning to the days of the Criminal Libel Law, where journalists were jailed in the course of their work.
According to him the incessant arrests of journalists defeats the Kufuor administration’s goal of repealing the Criminal Libel Law, with Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo as Attorney General at the time.
“The purpose of repealing the criminal libel law is being defeated by what is happening now,” Suhuyini said on the Key Points on TV3 in relation to the arrest and prosecution of Media General’s Captain Smart, Accra FM’s Bobie Ansah and Civil society activist, Mensah Thompson.
He noted that “There was a reason why we repealed the Criminal Libel Law. When Haruna Atta [Former Editor of the Accra Mail] was being prosecuted [under the Rawlings administration] it was because they had done a story against the then First Lady.
“So when you hear that Mensah Thompson is being prosecuted for utterances he made that go against the First Family it takes us back to the days of the criminal libel laws.”
He further appealed to the Speaker of Parliament to invite the Chairman of the National Media Commission (NMC) to answer questions relating to recent arrests of journalists.
Making a statement on the floor of the House on Friday, February 11, 2922, Suhuyini who is a former broadcaster of Radio Gold said “Mr Speaker, guided by this provision of the 1992 constitution, and given the growing concerns in our country over the seeming state involvement because of the characters who represent the state in the harassment and in some cases the detention of media personnel.
” Mr Speaker, in the last couple of days three media personnel are said to have been arrested by state agencies.
“On this note I wish to appeal to the business committee to invite the National Media Commission through the Minister of Information to brief this house on the development on the media front especially in relation to the arrest and detention of Mensah Thompson of ASEPA, Bobie Ansah, and whether or not the National Media Commission is still in the business of protecting press freedoms in this country.”
Meanwhile, the latest to be arrested aside from Captain smart the host of Onua Makyee, Mensah Thompson the leader of ASEPA, Bobie Ansah a host at Accra Fm, is Oliver Baker-Vormawor, the leader of the #Fixthecountry movement.
Source: Richard Mensah Adonu | Join our Telegram Group
