[ 2010-09-03 ]

Attorney General replies Ebo Quansah
THE EDITOR
WESTERN PUBLICATIONS
P.O. BOX GP115
ACCRA

RE: WHEN PARTY AGENTS YELL. JUDGES BEWARE:
ATTORNEY-GENERAL REPLIES EBO OUANSAH

I refer to the above mentioned article published
in your 31st August 2010 edition of your newspaper
at page 4 in which the author sought to create
some disparaging impressions about my office and
proceeded to make certain factually incorrect and
dangerous statements that affects the integrity of
not only the office of Attorney General, but also
undermining of the independence of the judiciary.
Needless to say that the entire publication is
false, it is clearly evident that the author was
motivated not by a selfless desire to inform his
readers, but to unsettle and embarrass the persons
affected and stir panic among the general
populace.

In the said publication, the author stated that
there was a meeting between the Attorney General,
National Security Advisor, Minister of Defence and
Nana Ato Dadzie. I wish to emphatically state here
and for the records that no such meeting took
place in my office nor was I privy to any such
meeting at any time during my continuing tenure as
Attorney General. The allegation contained in your
paper is therefore nothing but a pure fabrication
designed to cause apprehension among all concerned
and incite ill-will against the office of
Attorney-General and the occupant thereof. Had
this not been the case, your outfit would have
acted in keeping with the ethics and standards of
your office as journalists by enquiring from my
office of the allegations and double checked the
authenticity of the facts and in any case
receiving the benefit of the AG's version of the
story for purposes of making a balanced
reportage.

In the circumstances it is clear that this
publication was made with a
preconceived mindset and designed to achieve a
prejudicial end, in breach of the ethics of
journalism and the recent admonition by the
chairman of the media commission, which ironically
was contained on page 15 of your paper of the same
date to the effect that journalist must behave in
accordance with the ethics of the profession. In
the light of this, I am taking the liberty to copy
him this rejoinder for his record and possible
action in this regard.

A newspaper the size of yours should aspire to
practice responsible
journalism by seeking to negatively exploit recent
occurrences to heighten the anxiety of our
governance institutions, your newspaper is not
helping, but rather undermining the cause of Ghana
in building a better governance system for its
entire people.

Signed:
BETTY MOULD-IDDRISU
ATTORNEY-GENERAL AND
MINISTER OF JUSTICE

Cc: The Chairman
Ghana Media Commission
Accra

Source - Attorney General

... go Back