A broadcast journalist with a Kumasi-based television station, Wontumi TV, has been detained and interrogated by operatives of the Office of the Special Prosecutor in Ghana to disclose the source(s) of an allegation he made on his programme.
The journalist, Gordon Asare-Bediako, who voluntarily went to the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) following invitations by operatives of the OSP for a conversation was detained and questioned for more than an hour with the hope of getting him to disclose his source(s).
The five OSP officials who quizzed him accused him of making corruption allegation against the OSP. The interrogation follows an allegation Asare-Bediako admitted making about the Special Prosecutor, Kissi Agyebeng, that “the Special Prosecutor had requested a private jet from the previous government due to the high-risk nature of his role,” Asare-Bediako indicated.
The journalist maintained that the claim was based on information he received from his sources but declined to disclose the source(s). He was subsequently granted a bail in the sum of GH¢5 million (USD 323,799.17).
“They charged me with two charges, false publication and false communication setting my bail bond at GH¢5 million,” Asare-Bediako explained to media outlets.
The journalist has subsequently declared his intention to take legal action against the Special Prosecutor.
The Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) expresses concern over the detention and questioning of Asare-Bediako, particularly as he was not officially informed about the nature of the investigation. MFWA also reiterates the importance of source protection in journalism, a principle fundamental to the profession. The MFWA calls on state actors to ensure due process is followed and urges journalists to maintain the ethical standards of their profession.