Police invites journalist over Armed Forces story

Editor of DAYBREAK newspaper, Prince Prah, has been instructed to report himself to the Ghana Police Service today Tuesday November 14, 2017, based on a supposed petition filed against him by the Ghana Armed Forces.

Mr. Prah was told last week, Thursday November 9, 2017 that the Ghana Armed Forces has filed a petition against him and therefore he should report himself today.

The Ghana Police Service gave the journalist a hint that the petition was related to his newspaper’s editorial content.

The Police would, however, not tell the journalist which exact news report he would be quizzed over.

The development comes as a surprise and an affront to press freedoms, especially when the National Media Commission, the law courts and other recognized state institutions have been the avenues of addressing media related misgivings, if any.

The Ghana Police Service, in this day and age, is not known as an arbitrator in media related issues or an alternative media-dispute resolution agency.

It is also interesting that neither Mr. Prah nor DAYBREAK newspaper has received a copy of the supposed petition or complaint from the Ghana Armed Forces.

Yet the Editor is expected to appear at the headquarters of the Ghana Police Service to respond to surprise questions.

DAYBREAK believes in protecting the integrity, credibility and reputation of the Ghana Armed Forces and has remained committed to this duty which includes, but not limited to, naming and shaming the few bad nuts among the Forces.

The paper is of an opinion that a culture of silence should not be encouraged in any segment of the country’s governance systems and institutions.

The invitation and supposed petition has caught the attention of both local and international media rights related agencies which are on standby monitoring the development.