Albert Kwabena Dwumfour
The Ghana Journalists Association (GJA), has initiated legal action against the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP), for the arrest and intimidation of radio broadcaster, Godwin Asare Bediako.
On April 2, 2025, Godwin Asare Bediako, a renowned journalist was arrested by the OSP, for accusing the Special Prosecutor of requesting a private jet from the then ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) due to the risky nature of his job.
The Special Prosecutor denied the allegation and said it was an attack on his integrity and, therefore, arrested Godwin Asare Bediako but subsequently granted him a bail in the sum of GH¢5 million after the journalist refused to reveal the source of his information.
But speaking at a news conference in Accra, the President of the Ghana Journalists Association, Albert Kwabena Dwumfour, described the move by the OSP as intimidation, and has therefore instructed its legal team to take steps to initiate legal action against the Office.
He said, “We have instructed our legal team to take immediate steps to initiate a judicial review of the unlawful actions undertaken by the OSP which constitute harassment of our member and clearly exceed the powers granted to the Special Prosecutor under the Office of the Special Prosecutor Act, 2017 (959).
“We firmly hold the view that such an override of Authority by the OSP is not only unacceptable but illegal. Accordingly, we will seek a declaration from a court of competent jurisdiction to nullify these actions,” he added.
The GJA President further said the Association has also directed its lawyers to file an application for an injunction to restrain the OSP from engaging in any further acts of harassment or undue interference with regards to Godwin Asare Bediako and any other journalist.
He also expressed GJA’s commitment to uphold the rule of law in ensuring that justice is served within the boundaries of legal authority, while urging the Special Prosecutor not to deviate from “its core mandate of the role of a Special Prosecutor to that of a Special Persecutor.”
By Ebenezer K. Amponsah