Journalists must stop lying – Kofi Boakye warns

The media in Ghana must be truthful in their reportage ahead of the December 7 presidential and parliamentary elections to avert chaos in the country, COP Kofi Boakye, Ashanti Regional Police Commander, has said.

According to him, even if what the media reports on a matter that is true, they should first of all inform the police for swift action to be taken to enable the security agencies deal with the real culprits.

Speaking at a meeting with divisional and district police officers across the Ashanti Region on Friday November 25, COP Boakye said: “Some of you journalists just lie, misinform, and misrepresent the facts. Let us be careful. In this election, any false information can lead to a very chaotic situation.

"You must first of all make sure that what you are going to publish is the truth, and even if it is the truth, is it going to endanger the peace of the country? If yes, then we must report to the police and other appropriate security agencies. It is not everything that the press must go out and say for the sake of sensationalism. You are part and parcel of this electoral process and what you do is something that can lead to peace or lead to war, and I don’t think any of us will like this country to degenerate into something else.

"So, the press, our appeal to you is to speak the truth, not rumours, not ‘according to a credible source’.

"Whenever there [are] elections, you will know that few weeks to the elections there will be rumours and falsehood. It is up to you to take the wheat out of the chaff, because when there is war you will all be victims.”