Preventing media from covering Ken Agyapong contempt case ‘worrying’ – TPF

The Press Foundation (TPF) says denying journalists access to the Accra High Court to cover the contempt case involving Member of Parliament for Assin Central Kennedy Agyapong is an “unfortunate attempt geared at preventing the media from their professional responsibility to the nation.”

This comes on the heel of reports that some Judicial Press Corps who were present at the Land division of the High Court in Accra on Friday, 25 September 2020 were not allowed entry into the courtroom.

TPF in a statement signed by its Executive Director Listowel Yesu Bukarson on Friday, 25 September 2020, noted that: “It is more so very worrying since the reason for denial is said to be instructions from above”.

TPF, therefore, called “the attention of authorities concerned to the decision, akin to gagging the media which ultimately is a further stab in the backs of freedom of the media.”

According to Police personnel present at the High Court, they were only acting based on “instructions from above.”

Following an exchange with the police, the press corps were asked to send a representative inside to cover proceedings on behalf of all other media houses that were present.

It is unclear which “above” the instructions are coming from and to what end.