The President of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA), Affail Monney says the 10-day jail sentence of Daily Searchlight Newspaper Editor-in-Chief, Ken Kuranchie, is an infliction of a “reputational injury” on the practice of journalism in Ghana.
“I’m pleading profusely on the sentence imposed on Ken Kuranchie,” he told XYZ News on Tuesday June 2, 2013.
Mr. Kuranchie was sentenced by the Supreme Court the same day over a front page publication by his newspaper which questioned the basis of the court’s invitation of Deputy Communication Director of the main opposition New Patriotic Party, Sammy Awuku, for describing the bench as “hypocritical and selective”.
Another Contemnor, Stephen Atubiga was also sentenced to 3 days in prison for vowing on radio that President John Mahama and the governing National Democratic Congress will not hand over power even if the court ordered so at the end of the election petition hearing.
Atubiga displayed remorse when he appeared before the court.
Ken Kuranchie on the other hand attempted explaining himself to the court and ended up engaging the bench in a back-and-forth argument.
He also repeatedly gave conditional apologies despite promptings by the court to either render an unqualified and unreserved apology or stand his ground that he was right and the court was wrong.
His posture was perceived as belligerent and unremorseful by the court and so was given a harsher punishment of 10-days.
The GJA president says the court’s sentence “has not only inflicted physical and psychological pain on Ken alone, but it has also inflicted a reputational injury on the entire media landscape and all of us need to bleed and sympathise and empathise with him at this moment”.
