The Ghana Journalist Association (GJA) has urged the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) to focus on its mandate and refrain from targeting journalists over false publications.
The call follows the recent detention of a journalist, Gordon Asare-Bediako, by OSP operatives after he alleged that the Special Prosecutor had requested a private jet for personal use from the previous government.
Although granted bail of GH₵5 million, Asare-Bediako continues to report periodically to the OSP.
“We firmly hold the view that such an overreach of authority by the OSP is not only unacceptable but also illegal,” said GJA President Albert Dwumfour at a press briefing on Wednesday.
The association announced that it had directed its legal team to initiate a judicial review of the OSP’s actions, describing them as harassment and an overreach of its powers under the Office of the Special Prosecutor Act, 2017 (Act 959).
The Daily Searchlight highly commends the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) for the position it has adopted in this matter.
The fact is that the laws of Ghana from time immemorial, as well as the 1992 Constitution, spells out the processes to be adopted by those who feel aggrieved by publications in the media.
By law and the constitution, people and institutions who are aggrieved by the work of the media can write rejoinders, make a complaint to the Media Commission, or proceed to court on libe.
Against that background, we believe that the attitude and actions adopted by the OSP amounts to overreaching and abuse, and should rightfully be resisted.
We advise the GJA to assist Mr. Bediako to initiate an action in the courts to restrain the OSP from further harassing Mr. Bediako. We also advise Mr. Bediako to adopt a more confrontational attitude, since tyranny, when not resisted and unchecked, roams amok, at large, and as destructive as ever!
(Editorial of the Daily Searchlight of 25th April 2025).
