An investigative journalist, Manasseh Azure Awuni, is calling for the removal of the law on false news publication.
He says any person or institution that feels defamed by publications on them can sue in court and demand damages.
He made this comment after questioning the Police on why they detained a suspect for allegedly publishing false news for a long time and did not put him before the court.
On Thursday, November 20, the Ghana Police Service, with support from the National Signals Bureau (NSB), arrested suspect Samuel Amadotor for alleged malicious publication of false information.
According to the Police, this was after a complaint against him by Mr. Okatakye Boakye Danquah Ababio I.
The Police said in a statement that upon interrogation, the suspect admitted to the offence and mentioned one Chairman Michael Yeboah as the one who contracted him to make the false publication.
“The said Chairman Michael Yeboah is being sought to assist the investigation. Meanwhile, the suspect is in custody and will be put before the court tomorrow, 21st November, 2025,” the statement said.
This was after another journalist Ansah-Addo Halifax, had written on Facebook about the arrest.
Halifax said “Sammy Amedetor, editor of Dklassgh.com. He was picked at 3am from his bed, handcuffed and sent to Signals Bureau last Friday. Questions centered mainly on who gave him the video he published and later pulled it down. He was released around 11pm same Friday and asked to report back to Signals Bureau on Tuesday. He did.
“Since Tuesday, he is still LOCKED at the Ministry of Police station as I type. Since when did not disclosing a source became a crime?”
Manasseh, in a post on his Facebook post reacting to the development, said ” Why have you [Police] not put him before the court for this long? Why tomorrow, and not earlier? Some sources close to him say he has been in custody for more than 48 hours. What law allows you to keep a suspect for this long without putting him before the court?”
He further called for the repeal of the law on false news.
“THIS LAW ON FALSE NEWS SHOULD BE REPEALED. If the person who made the report feels defamed, he can sue the journalist. This law has been abused for too long and we must stop it,” he said.
