TMA Defends Calls For Transfer Of Journalist

The Tema Municipal Chief Executive, Samuel Evans Ashong Narh has denied media reports that he personally sought the transfer of a GNA reporter who had been accused of tarnishing the image of the Assembly. Mr Ashong Narh was reacting to a statement by the Ghana Journalists Association condemning the Assembly’s request to the Information Minister to transfer Mr George Osei Antwi.

The request was in protest against a story filed by George Osei Antwi that cited Mr Ashong Narh and two others in alleged fraudulent contract awards totalling 1.2 billion cedis. Mr Ashong Narh told JOY FM that the request for the transfer was made by the Executive Committee in accordance with the Local Government Act.

The GJA President, Gifty Affenyi Dadzie described the request as an act of intimidation by the assembly since there are constitutionally mandated agencies to deal with media complaints. But Mr Ashong Narh said the Executive Committee will advise itself on the appropriate course of action after it receives a response to their request from the Minister of Information.

The GNA story was based on an alleged SFO report on investigations into the contract awards. The story was later retracted by the GNA after the head of the SFO and the Attorney General denied the existence of any report on the investigation. The GJA, last Thursday, dared the Attorney General to produce the report on the investigations into the alleged fraud.