Ghana: Opposition party sympathizer arrested for calling President Mills a “chimpanzee”

Alexander Adu Gyamfi, a sympathizer of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) was on May 24, 2010 arrested by the police in Kumasi, Ghana’s second largest city, for describing the country’s President as a “chimpanzee” during a radio discussion programme.  Gyamfi, who is popularly known as “High Priest” was a panelist on the morning show on the Kumasi-based Fox FM, in which his co-panelist from the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) raised concerns about the negative propaganda that he claimed were being waged against Nana Akufo-Addo, a contender for the NPP presidential candidature in party’s primaries slated for August 2010, and that this negative campaign in the NPP would help the fortunes of the NDC in the 2012 general elections.

The police said during Gyamfi’s arrest that it was in his own interest and to protect him from angry NDC youth who had besieged the radio station to register their displeasure following his “insulting” comments. Chief Inspector Mohammed Tanko, the Ashanti Regional Public Relations Officer of the Police, who was speaking on Joy FM radio station, said “We did not arrest him for insulting the President.” “We arrested him for offensive conduct contrary to section 207 of Ghana’s Criminal Code”.

Meanwhile, Gyamfi, who is currently on police enquiry bail and was to be charged with “offensive conduct”, under Section 207 of the Criminal Code, has been left off the hook upon the intervention of President John Atta Mills.

At a news conference in Kumasi on May 26, the regional Commander, DCOP Patrick Timbilla, quoted President Mills as saying “he is not interested” in the matter as he is focused on his “Better Agenda” programme for the country.

 DCOP Timbilla therefore said all charges against Gyamfi have been dropped.

This is the second time that the police have arrested an NPP activist over comments made on air. On February 18, Nana Darkwa, was arrested by the police and remanded in prison custody for two weeks over comments he made on a radio station allegedly accusing Ghana’s former President Jerry John Rawlings  of  setting fire to burn his (Rawlings’s) own house. The case is in court.

Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) has observed the rampant use of insulting and abusive language by individuals, political party functionaries and government officials in both the print and electronic media and we consider this inappropriate and unprofessional since the practice has the tendency to undermine responsible media freedom in particular and freedom of expression in general.

MFWA, however, adds its voice to the widespread condemnation of the police in this latest arrest. We condemn actions of the NDC youth who besieged the premises of the radio station.

For further information, please contact:

Kwame Karikari (Prof)
Executive Director
MFWA
Accra
Tel: 233-30-22 4 24 70
Fax: 233-302-22 10 84
Email: mfwa@africaonline.com.ghThis e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
Website: www.mediafound.org

- May 27, 2010 by MFWA

……………..

Source: www.mediafound.org/index.php (accessed on 31.05.10)