The National Media Commission (NMC) has directed the Awake Newspaper to apologise to the Registrar-General, Jemima Mamaa Oware for publishing unsubstantiated allegations against her on its platforms.
It further directed the Editor of the Newspaper, Efo Korsi Senyo, to retract the publications as well as remove photos of Mrs Oware which was published in the print and online editions of the newspaper, Facebook and other social media platforms.
A statement signed and issued In Accra yesterday by George Sarpong, Executive Secretary of NMC, said the apology and retraction must be given same prominence as the offending publications.
It noted that the said allegations of impropriety made by Mr Senyo against the Registrar-General as official liquidator of Toku Company Limited lacked evidence.
Although the commission was aware that Mrs Oware turned down a request from the journalist for her comment prior to publication, the decline did not absolve the journalist of the responsibility to ensure accuracy in the reportage.
“While it may be in the interest of a person being investigated by a journalist to offer his or her perspective for consideration, journalists have a responsibility to be accurate, objective, fair and balanced at all times. These principles are non-negotiable,” the statement added.
The decisions by the NMC followed a petition from the Registrar-General over the conduct of the Editor of Awake Newspaper, Efo Korsi Senyo, on the publication of matters relating to the liquidation of Toku Company Limited in 2011.
The Newspaper released account of a purported wrong doing in the liquidation company in December last year.
However, in a petition dated December, 20 2018, to the NMC, by the Registrar-General and the Official Liquidator of Toku Company Ltd, Mrs Jemima Mamaa Oware described the journalist’s actions as a move to scandalise and impugn the integrity of the official liquidator and the office of the Registrar- General.
The petition went further to state that there was no wrong doing in the liquidation of Toku Company Limited as being purported by the journalist in his report.
Mrs Oware asked the NMC to restrain Mr Senyo from any act, or conduct to impugn the integrity of the official liquidator, Toku Company Limited and further restrain him from publishing on the website or on his Facebook page, on the subject matter.
She also asked for apology and withdrawal of the publication against the official liquidator, Toku Company Limited from Awake Newspaper and all other platforms and issue an order to the journalist not to publish, comment or speak in any public forum on the subject matter.
BY TIMES REPORTER
