The Ghana Journalists Association (GJA), is demanding an apology from the Judicial Service following the dismissal of some journalists from an Accra Magistrate court last week.
The journalists covering the Joseph Boakye Danquah-Adu murder trial were kicked out from the court by the Magistrate, Arit Nsemoh without any reason.
Angered by the directive, the journalists had threatened to the Chief Justice over the matter.
A statement signed by the President of the GJA, Affail Monney, condemned the Magistrate’s action describing it as “indiscreet, reprehensible and an affront to media freedom.”
“The JB Danquah murder trial is of huge national and international interest, given the tragic circumstances under which the young MP was killed. To deny journalists access to the open court is to deprive the public in general and the bereaved family in particular the sovereign right to be informed about the proceedings to dispense justice in the case. We demand an apology from the Judicial Service and a full assurance that reporters will no more experience any unnecessary hindrance and indignity in the coverage of the case,” the statement added.
JB Danquah was murdered on February 9, 2016, and two suspects are currently standing trial.
The two suspects were arraigned some two weeks ago after a high court discharged them due to a nolle prosequi filed by the Attorney General. But they were subsequently re-arrested.
The decision to drop the case was initially met with some backlash from the public until the Attorney General, Gloria Akuffo, clarified that the suspects were to be re-arrested and investigations reopened into the case.
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(Via: CitiFM Online Ghana)
