Media General questions basis for Captain Smart’s arrest after release

Media General, the mother company of Onua FM, Onua TV has said it believes that the statement made by Captain Smart which led to his arrest should not be one that should be interpreted in the manner that the Police did.

The company said it is increasingly becoming concerned about the new trend of arrest of journalists and media practitioners.

A statement issued by the company said this recent trend of picking journalists has affected journalists who work with Media General who are simply doing their work and, like every Ghanaian, should be protected by the Constitution.

A careful review indicates that “Today's arrest and detention of Captain Smart is by no means an isolated incident, but just one more egregious example of the intolerance increasingly creeping into the Ghanaian society. We are convinced that a careful review of the entire statement made by Captain Smart would reveal that it did not amount to threats to the peace and or stability of the country as claimed by the Ghana Police.

“The Media General Group would like to urge the Ghana Police Service and the IGP to exercise restraint in their dealings with journalists legitimately doing their work and dismiss these broad charges so that press freedom would be protected.

“We at Media General shall continue to preach and exercise responsible journalism. However, we would continue to empower our journalists and broadcasters to be fearless, honest and forthright in their professional outlook always,” a statements aid.

The statement comes after Blessed Godsbrain Smart, popularly known as Captain Smart has been released by the Police after his arrest on Thursday December 2.

The Nima Divisional Police Command arrested the host of the morning show “Onua Maakye” on Media General subsidiaries, Onua TV and Onua FM.

At about 11am on Thursday, Smart received officers from the National Investigations Bureau (NIB) in his home who invited him to their office, to which he obliged. He was subsequently taken to the Nima Police station in Accra for interrogation.

At the Nima Police Station, Smart was cautioned on the “offence of offensive conduct conducive to breaches of the peace as provided under section 207 of the Criminal Act, 1960 (Act 29).” He provided a caution statement and then was granted bail.

According to the Police, the arrest of Captain Smart was due to some unsavoury pronouncements he was alleged to have made that, according to them, hinged on the peace and security of the country.

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3news.com|Ghana