Ghanaian Voice publication offensive - Government

The Government says it considers it dishonest and mischievous a "Ghanaian Voice" story which sought to create the impression that Dr Tony Aidoo, a former Deputy Minister of Defence, was being harassed for expressing his view on a television programme.

"Whereas we will not respond to every false story in the media, we will not allow this falsehood to pass without comment because it is a deliberate distortion; it is injurious to the media; our democracy and the nation at large," the government said in a press statement on Thursday.

The statement signed by Mr Jake Obetsebi Lamptey, Minister for Presidential Affairs and Information, was also copied to the National Media Commission and Ghana Journalists Association Ethics Committee.

The statement said a letter inviting Dr Aidoo to appear before the security agencies published by the newspaper clearly showed that the invitation was made two clear days before the programme.

"It is, therefore, difficult to understand how anybody could impute that Dr Aidoo was invited by the security agencies because of his remarks on the said television programme."

It said the letter inviting Dr Aidoo clearly stated that he was to assist in "ongoing enquiries".

"The inference, therefore, is that whatever precipitated INTERPOL's (International Police) invitation to Dr Aidoo had been in motion before the television programme," the statement explained.

The statement said while journalists and the media could take full advantage of the "newly found freedom of speech," it would, however, serve the integrity of the profession better if readers and listeners were served with stories credibly obtained, comprehensively investigated and published without malice or mischief.

"We wish to implore the media to desist from distorting the truth in their enthusiasms to build their stories," it added.