Editor of The Herald newspaper, Larry Dogbey, has been granted bail after being sentenced to seven days in prison for contempt of court over publications linked to an ongoing legal dispute between businessman Kevin Okyere and Swiss commodities trading firm Petraco SA.
The Accra High Court, presided over by Justice Isaac Addo, delivered the ruling on Thursday, June 25, 2026, after finding Mr Dogbey guilty of breaching a court order that restricted further reporting on the case.
The contempt case stemmed from articles published by The Herald concerning a petition filed by Petraco SA against Mr Okyere, the Founder and CEO of Springfield Exploration and Production Limited (SEP).
According to the court, Mr Dogbey violated an interlocutory injunction issued on June 11, 2025, which barred any additional publications on the matter while the case was still before the court.
During the hearing, Mr Dogbey maintained that he had not been served with the injunction and was therefore unaware of the order.
The court, however, dismissed this argument and concluded that he had acted in deliberate disregard of its authority.
Justice Addo noted that the High Court has the legal power to punish contempt under Article 126(2) of the 1992 Constitution and Order 50 of the High Court (Civil Procedure) Rules, 2004.
The court also directed that a warrant of committal be issued to the Director-General of the Ghana Prisons Service to enforce the sentence.
Mr Dogbey has since been granted bail pending further proceedings.
