Ghana

(MFWA/IFEX) – Ghana’s Minister for Communications, Professor Mike Ocquaye, filed a suit at an Accra High Court on 5 June 2006, against the publishers and editors of “Ghanaian Lens” and “Ghana Palaver”, two Accra-based bi-weekly privately-owned newspapers, for allegedly defaming him. Afi Amematekpor, a correspondent of the “Ghanaian Lens” was also jointly sued. The minister […]

(MFWA/IFEX) – On 25 May 2006, Joyce Danso, a female reporter for the state-owned wire service Ghana News Agency (GNA), was slapped by Michael Gberbie, a 46-year old official of the Institute of Chartered Accountants, Ghana (ICAG), for arriving late to report on their function. She was also insulted by the official. Danso told MFWA […]

(MFWA/IFEX) – On 7April 2006, Ghana’s deputy minister of Trade and Industry, Kofi Osei Ameyaw, filed a suit against “The Insight”, a tri-weekly independent newspaper, and two other bi-weekly independent newspapers, “Ghana Palaver” and “Ghanaian Democrat”, in an Accra High Court, for allegedly defaming him. The deputy minister is seeking damages of 2 billion Cedis […]

(MFWA/IFEX) – The managing editor of the bi-weekly newspaper “Ghana Palaver”, Jojo Bruce Quansah, who was allegedly attacked and reported missing, has said that he went into hiding for fear of losing his life. Quansah said he went to Tema, a suburb of the Greater Accra Region, to seek medical attention and refuge. According to […]

(MFWA/IFEX) – On 4 November 2005, the “Ghana Palaver” newspaper, supporter of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), the main opposition party, launched an appeal for funds to pay damages of 1.9 billion cedis (approx. US$220,000) ordered by a court. The damages arose out of legal suits filed against the newspaper by Works and Housing Minister […]

(MFWA/IFEX) – On 1 November 2005, a group of activists from the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Ghana’s main opposition party, assaulted Patricia Setorwu and Garneo Caches, reporters for the independent daily newspaper “Daily Guide”. A mobile phone belonging to one of the reporters was also smashed to pieces. The NDC was holding an emergency meeting […]

(MFWA/IFEX) – The Ghana Police Service’s Criminal Investigations Department (CID) has questioned Osbert Lartey, editor of the Accra-based weekly “Vanguard”, over a an article he published that included damaging allegations against former president Jerry John Rawlings. The newspaper alleged that key individuals in the main Ghanaian opposition party, the National Democratic Congress (NDC), including former […]

(MFWA/IFEX) – On 27 July 2005, police seized and destroyed the cameras of several journalists who were taking photos of the Hotel Kufour, a building whose acquisition by the President’s son has been a focus of ongoing controversy. Emmanuel Kubi, a photographer with the independent “Ghanaian Chronicle” newspaper, had his digital camera snatched from him […]

(MFWA/IFEX) – On 28 July 2005, high court in Accra ordered the independent weekly, “National Democrat”, to pay Ghana’s Minister of State for Defence, Kwame Addo- Kufuor, 400 million cedis (approx. US$44,000) in damages for publishing an article that the minister considered defamatory. The court also awarded 10 million Cedis (approx. US$1,100) in costs against […]

(MFWA/IFEX) – On 22 July 2005, a crew from TV Africa, an Accra-based independent television station, was arrested and detained for about two hours by security personnel at President John Agyekum Kufuor’s private home. The crew members said they were verbally abused, and one reporter had her identity card removed clumsily and was prevented from […]

(MFWA/IFEX) – On 4 July 2005, an Accra high court sentenced Frank Boahene, editor of the independent “Free Press” newspaper, based in Accra, to 15 days in prison for contempt of court. Two of the newspaper’s directors, Claude Decker and Thomas Kpakpo Thompson, also received the same sentence. The charge of contempt arises from the […]

(MFWA/IFEX) – On 21 April 2005, Emmanuel Duah, a reporter with the privately-owned radio station Happy FM, was beaten with clubs and stones while covering a by-election in Aboabo-Adukrom, in Ghana’s Ashanti region, about 270 kilometres from the capital, Accra. Duah’s assailants beat him until he fell unconscious. He was rushed to City hospital, where […]

(MFWA/IFEX) – A High Court in Accra has ordered the independent weekly “Ghana Palaver” to pay Ghana’s minister of state for works and housing, Hackman Owusu Agyeman, 1.5 billion cedis (approx. US$165,000) in damages for publishing an article that the minister considered to be defamatory. The newspaper and one of its reporters, Ekow Essuman, were […]

(MFWA/IFEX) – On 17 March 2005, Evans Mensah, a reporter for Joy FM, an independent radio station in Accra, was assaulted by a group of demonstrators while covering a protest march in the city. The journalist, who was whisked away by the police to prevent the assault from continuing, was still attacked even in the […]

(MFWA/IFEX) – Less than two months before presidential and general elections in Ghana, radio stations operating in the Northern Region of the country have been banned from broadcasting “political” discussions, interviews and phone-in programmes. Deputy Minister for the Region Charles Bintim, who is also chairman of the Northern Regional Security Council (REGSEC), imposed the ban […]

(MFWA/IFEX) – The following is a 7 September 2004 MFWA press release: The Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA), a press freedom advocacy organisation, is seriously dismayed by the decision of the management of the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC) to interdict the Director of Ghana Television (GTV) and four journalists over a news item concerning […]