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Management of XYZ Broadcasting has expressed shock about a 14-day jail sentence given by an Accra High Court to an employee of one of their media firms – Power FM.
Radioxyzonline.com earlier today reported that Power FM broadcaster, Oheneba Boamah has been jailed over allegations against President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and some judges in the country.
The media personality was dragged to court in December 2020 by the Attorney General, for contempt of court.
He was accused of allegedly publishing a video on his Facebook wall with claims that then NPP Flagbearer, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo had met with and influenced some 8 justices of the Supreme Court, to rule in their favour in the event of any election petition.
Per details of the report, an Accra High Court, presided over by Justice, Elfreda Dankyi held that the broadcaster was guilty of charges against him and was consequently sentenced.
Reacting to this in a statement, management of XYZ Broadcasting noted that they will “review the ruling and take the necessary steps as will be advised”.
They also reiterated their resolve and commitment to speak truth to power.
“We wish to assure staff and the general public that this ruling will not dampen our collective resolve and commitment to speak truth to power.
“Oheneba Boamah Bennie, who is currently unwell, is in good spirit and we pledge to stand by him and his family during these trying times and pray that he gets the best of protection while in the custody of the state”, parts of the statement read.
Read the full statement below:
Background:
The A-G dragged Bennie to court on December 2020 for contempt of court.
It was the case of the A-G that, after the declaration of President Akufo-Addo as the President-elect by the Electoral Commission (EC), Bennie allegedly published a video on his Facebook wall, claiming that President Akufo-Addo had met with eight justices of the Supreme Court, led by the Chief Justice, and had influenced them.
He claimed the President used the supposed meeting to influence the justices of the apex court to rule in his favour in the event of any election petition challenging his re-election as declared by the EC.
In the said video, he allegedly said Ghanaians would not allow the justices of the Supreme Court to destroy the country and urged the military to stage a coup d’etat.
Constitutional violation
The A-G makes a case that through his publication, Bennie wants to tell the public that judges, including the justices of the apex court, decide cases not independently but by taking directives from the President.
Such an assertion, the A-G argued, if allowed to go unpunished, would amount to gross disrespect for the judiciary, which is a violation of the 1992 Constitution.
According to the A-G, Bennie knew that there was a possibility of a challenge to the presidential election at the Supreme Court and, therefore, by poisoning the minds of the public against the court, he wanted to cause disaffection for the court.
“That the respondent’s disrespect for the Judiciary and the publication of false news intended to bring the Judiciary into disrepute makes him liable to be committed to prison in order to vindicate the undoubted authority of the Judiciary enshrined in Article 125 of the 1992 Constitution,” the affidavit in support of the A-G’s case added.
