Direct TV3, Onua TV to withdraw distorted publication against our client and apologise - Dr Afriye's lawyers write to NMC 

Lawyers for the Member of Parliament for Effiduase/Asokore in the Ashanti Region, Nana Ayew Afriye, have requested the National Media Commission to cause TV3 and Onua TV stations to retract what they describe as offensive publications against the lawmaker.

It will be recalled that TV3 and Onua TV published a video of the MP speaking on the galamsey at a New Patriotic Party event, following which he became the subject of public scrutiny.

The video from the two media houses, both under the Media General Ghana company, was challenged by the MP, who indicated that the contents as published were deliberately done without recourse to the context within which he spoke.

"So, what the TV3 people did was that when I said we will not stop today or tomorrow, they actually truncated and doctored it out and then made it look like all I said was we are not doing anything about galamsey and we will not stop today or tomorrow. That is a misrepresentation; it actually put me out of context," Dr Ayew maintained.

Subsequently, Dr. Nana Ayew Afriye, through his lawyers, explained that "Contrary to what our client stated during the said NPP political event, and to the dismay and shock of our client, TV3 and Onua TV, which belong to Media General Ghana, unprofessionally and with mischief decided to and indeed did misrepresent and doctored the tapes containing our client's voice to cause public disaffection and hatred towards our client aimed at tarnishing Hon. Dr. Nana Ayew Afriye's hard-won reputation as a medical doctor, politician, and Member of Parliament par excellence among the general public.

"Pursuant to the publication made by TV3 and Onua TV, other media houses also picked the false and malicious publication to run the same client."

Having petitioned the National Media Commission, the lawyers of Dr Afriye have asked for the two platforms to use the same mediums to render the necessary apologies to avoid any further legal actions from the MP.

In the petition, the solicitors for Nana Ayew Afriye explained that on September 26, 2024, their client was a speaker at an NPP event in the Ashanti Region where he brought up the issue of both small-scale mining or community mining, and illegal small-scale mining, popularly known as Galamsey.

According to the lawyers, their client sought to distinguish between the confusion associated with the definition and/or meaning ascribed to small-scale or community mining, as against illegal mining or galamsey.

"Our client, in his statement during the said NPP event, indicated that there shouldn't be any issues or concerns associated with legal small-scale mining or community mining that is properly undertaken responsibly, sustainably, and in accordance with law. 

"Our client, however, in no uncertain terms, condemned illegal small-scale mining known as galamsey, which has seriously affected almost all Ghanaian water bodies and caused severe environmental degradation with its consequent negative effects now and in the future. Our client could be heard during his speech invoking curses on all persons involved in the galamsey activities and mining in water bodies," the petition said.

According to them, they deem it extremely unethical and unprofessional that TV3 and Onua TV, which belong to Media General Ghana, would use their platform to publish misrepresentation and falsehood without any verification of its veracity from their client.

The lawyers, therefore, are requesting the NMC to direct the two TV stations to retract and apologise to the MP, failure of which they would initiate legal action against them.

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