Judicial Service rejects Ghanaweb’s apology

Ghanaweb, a private media organisation, has been directed to immediately render an unqualified apology for a false publication against Ghana’s Judicial Service.

The news portal, known for aggregating content, had published a story that said the judge in Kennedy Agyapong’s contempt case had been transferred following the apex court’s ruling.

The story said that the High Court judge, Amos Wuntah Wuni, was transferred outside Accra because of the Assin Central legislator’s case.

But days after the publication, the news website published an apology following a rejoinder from the Judiciary.

“GhanaWeb wishes to apologise to the Chief Justice, Judicial Service of Ghana and Justice Amos Wuntah Wuni for the publication of an article titled “Judge in Kennedy Agyapong’s contempt case transferred outside Accra” on Thursday, October 15, 2020.

“We apologise for any inconvenience caused as a result of our earlier report. An action has been taken to avoid future happenings. The story has subsequently been pulled down,” as published by Ghanaweb on October 16, 2020.

But the judicial service has expressed dissatisfaction with the apology.

The letter signed by the Judicial Secretary, Justice Cynthia Pamela Addo, said the publication had caused “incalculable damage” on the image to the Judicial Service.

“We refer to your publication on October 16, 2020, after the submission of our rejoinder to your initial story.

“We reject the apology in its entirety as it did not deal with the matter in the manner it required compared to the damage the story has caused his lordship the Chief Justice of the Republic and the Judicial Service of Ghana,” excerpts of the letter read.

Ghanaweb has therefore been directed to take the necessary steps to correct the damage or face legal action.

“Apologise unreservedly and indicate in the apology that the story was completely false and failed to crosscheck the facts from the Judicial Service as the ethics of responsible journalism requires.

“State the fact that the judge in question has never been transferred as the story suggested.

“Publish the apology and true state of affairs above stated in the National Dailies and publish same on website giving the same prominence the first false publication had,” the new directives contained in the letter.