The Minister for Information, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah has stated that the Ghana Police Service will soon provide an update on the recent cases of attacks on media outfits across the country.
Speaking in an interview on Peace FM on Monday, October 9, 2023, the minister said a trend has developed where some persons tend to invade media outfits to register their misgivings against programs and specific content often leading to physical assault and violence.
While recalling such incidents and the actions taken by the ministry in connection with the police, the minister said the police will soon give an update on their investigations and subsequent actions on those cases.
“You can call the CID boss and find out from them an update on all these issues. What he made me understand is that they are gathering information from the various places where prosecution is underway and then give an update it.
"But I have said I don’t want to receive the update alone, I want the Media Commission, GJA (Ghana Journalists Association) and everyone to be in the meeting so we can ask the police how far with the incidents we have brought to their attention for prosecution,” he stated.
Earlier the minister had issued a statement in which he urged media houses to prioritize the promotion of national cohesion while exercising their fundamental freedoms.
However the GJA in response described the minister’s statement as wobbly for failing to outrightly condemn the attack on UTV.
The statement according to GJA when compared to previous statements by the minister in relation to incidents of such calibre was conveniently skewed to avoid condemning the incident.
The minister has since denied the assertion by the GJA.
Background
A group of NPP members stormed the studios of UTV during the broadcast of United Showbiz on Saturday, October 7, 2023, demanding for regular pundit of the show, Kwame Asare Obeng alias A Plus.
The group, said to be unhappy with A Plus shredding a letter by the leadership of the NPP to the management of UTV calling for a reform of United Showbiz, are said to have assaulted some staff of the media company before making their way into the studios.
The police later announced the arrest of 16 individuals in connection with the attack.
The incident has since received widespread condemnation from political activists and various critics who have described it as a direct attack on media freedom and the freedom of speech.
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