Joy News has replied to former Sanitation Minister, Cecilia Dapaah’s claims, stating unequivocally that there was no breach of ethical or professional standards in their coverage of the matters concerning her bank accounts that were frozen.
After Joy News published verified information about the transactions on two of her bank accounts, which had been reviewed by investigators over a specific time frame, the former Sanitation Minister wrote to them demanding both a retraction and an apology.
The Office of the Special Prosecutor is currently conducting a corruption-related investigation involving the ex-minister. The office is in the process of seeking approval from the high court to seize $590,000 and GHȼ2,730,000 million Ghana cedis that were discovered in her residence during a search.
Also Read: No work, no pay – Education ministry justifies directive to CETAG
Additionally, the Office of the Special Prosecutor is working to confirm the freezing of her accounts. Joy News had initially reported that two of her accounts contained $5 million and 48 million cedis, representing the total value of transactions reviewed by investigators over a specific period.
In a reply to Madam Dapaah, Joy News through its lawyers stated, “The complained reportage, regarding the said two figures (amounts), is based on facts in the matter, the subject of the said criminal investigations.”
Also Read: AU suspends Niger in crackdown over coup
“That said amounts, as duly clarified in specific publications by our client, represent the value of transactions on those bank accounts over a period, the subject of an application by the OSP for the confirmation of a freezing order in court,” the lawyers said.
The letter ends by stating that “staff of our client will continue, in the public interest, to exercise their profession pursuant to editorial policy and the Constitution of Ghana.”
