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Asanteman Council proceed to NMC over bribery allegation

NMC boss, Ambassador Kabral Blay AmihereThe Asanteman Council has filed a petition at the National Media Commission (NMC) against the New Free Press for publishing materials, which sought to impute criminality against the Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, in the Supreme Court judgement of the presidential election petition.


The council said it was invoking its constitutional mandate to compel the publisher and editor of the newspaper to apologise and withdraw the malicious statement against the Asantehene.

This was contained in a statement issued after a meeting of the standing committee of the Council in Kumasi on September 12, to deliberate on the publication.

On September 4, the New Free Press published an article which mentioned Otumfuo Osei Tutu as having facilitated the payment of bribes to some Supreme Court Judges to rule the case in favour of President John Dramani Mahama.

Kumasi-based Kessben on September 9 also broadcast the article and discussed it on its morning show allowing listeners to call in to make contributions.

The Manhyia Palace took a serious view of the situation and immediately issued a statement denying the allegation and promising to take further action in the immediate future.

This resulted in the meeting of the standing committee which decided to petition the NMC on the matter.

In the statement signed by the Mamponghene Daasebre Osei Bonsu II and five other paramount chiefs, it said “the council took a serious view of the false, malicious and vicious falsehood contained in the publication calculated to castigate the honour and dignity of Otumfuo Osei Tutu II.”

“It is highly regrettable that some media houses decided to go public with it without checking the facts of their article on hand,” the statement added.

It however noted the apology rendered to the Asantehene by the owner of Kessben FM, Mr Kwabena Kesse after the station retracted the statement.

Besides, the council stated that it had taken note of another apology from the Ashanti regional branch of the Ghana Journalists Association through its regional chairman, Mr Listowell Yesu Burkarson to the Asantehene on behalf of its members who broadcasted the story on the radio station.

Meanwhile, the Criminal Investigations Department of the Ghana Police Service has started investigations into the alleged bribery case.

By Kwame Asare Boadu/Daily Graphic/Ghana

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