(Free Expression Ghana/IFEX) – A grand welcome ceremony has been planned for jailed editors Haruna Atta, Kweku Baako Jr. and Ato Sam to mark their release from prison on 22 August 1998. This is part of the effort by Friends of Free Expression, an ad hoc pressure group, to encourage members of the general public […]
(Free Expression Ghana/IFEX) – A grand welcome ceremony has been planned for
jailed editors Haruna Atta, Kweku Baako Jr. and Ato Sam to mark their
release from prison on 22 August 1998. This is part of the effort by Friends
of Free Expression, an ad hoc pressure group, to encourage members of the
general public to participate in the promotion of freedom of expression.
**Updates IFEX alerts of 5 August, 30, 28 and 24 July 1998**
The event, which is to be held at the Ghana International Press Centre, is
scheduled
for Saturday 22 August 1998, and will be attended by journalists, academics,
lawyers, trade unionists, writers and parliamentarians among others.
An exhibition of newspaper clippings, poetry recitals, music and solidarity
messages from the Ghana Bar Association (GBA), the Trade Union Congress
(TUC), the National Union of Ghana Students (NUGS), the Ghana Journalists’
Association (GJA) and political parties are some of the events slated to
mark the day.
Personalities invited for the function include: Professor Ama Ata-Aidoo, a
writer of international repute, Professor Akilakpa Sawyer, former
vice-chancellor of the University of Ghana, Legon, and the President of the
GJA, Mrs. Gifty Afenyi-Dadzie. The gathering is expected to be addressed by
the three jailed editors, fresh from their sojourn in prison.
Background Information
On 23 July 1998, the Court of Appeal found Haruna Atta, editor of “The
Weekend Statesman”, and Kweku Baako Jr., editor of “The Guide”, guilty of
contempt of court. The two were each sentenced to one month’s imprisonment.
The contempt conviction was handed down for publishing libellous material
about Ghana’s First Lady, Nana Konadu Agyemang Rawlings, in spite of an
earlier court order restraining them from doing so, pending the hearing of
the substantive case of libel brought against them by the First Lady (see
IFEX alerts).
On 27 July 1998, Ebenezer Ato Sam, suspended editor of the “Free Press”, was
found guilty of contempt of court and sentenced to a jail term of 21 days in
default of a 5 million cedis (about US$2,000) fine. The conviction arose
from libel charges brought by the plaintiff, Kwamena Ahwoi, Minister of
Local Government and Rural Development, against the “Free Press”,
then-edited by Eben Quarcoo, for publishing an article which claimed that
the Minister siphoned local government funds to finance his brother’s cocoa
purchasing business (see IFEX alerts).
