Why judge Arit Nsemoh sacked journalists from her court

Enoch Darfah Frimpong Jun - 15 - 2017 , 19:49

The Magistrate Court judge, Her Worship Arit Nsemoh, who prevented some journalists from covering the murder case of J.B. Danquah-Adu on Thursday, has explained that, some of them entered the courtroom with cameras, President of the Ghana Journalist Association (GJA), Mr Roland Affail Monney has said.

According to Mr Monney, the GJA as part of investigations to establish what actually happened in the courtroom spoke to the judge, Arit Nsemoh about the incident at the Magistrate Court in Accra.

In a radio interview with Accra based Class FM, Mr Monney said the judge explained that she sacked the journalists from the court because they entered the courtroom with cameras, which was not allowed.

“Our decision to talk to her was predicated on the principle that every story has two sides. And the side she gives was that she didn’t know that journalists were entering the courtroom with cameras and it was in violation with the rules governing court proceedings.”

“So she asked the cameraman to leave the courtroom with the camera, and I [Monney] asked her if the order for the journalists to leave the courtroom also affected other journalists, especially those from the print, she said no, she couldn’t even identify the journalists but all that she realised was that some cameramen were at the gate and pointing at her, and she felt it was unethical and unlawful and she exercised her powers, and asked the police to ask them to vacate the premises."

“She is not against journalists entering her courtroom to do whatever they are supposed to do…," Mr Monney said and added that the GJA will continue to investigate and find out the exact circumstances which surround the issue.

Asked if the police used their discretion to ask journalists who were already seated in the courtroom to also move out, Mr Monney said according to the judge, “she was taken aback when she saw the cameraman already at the gate already filming, so she asked that the cameraman should leave but she did not ask other journalists to leave the courtroom, because she felt journalists have the right to report,”Mr Monney said.

Her Worship Arit Nsemoh reportedly prevented some journalists from entering the court to cover the case of Daniel Asiedu and Vincent Bossu who have been accused of killing the law law maker in February 2016.