You can’t hide behind press freedom to commit crime — Sekondi MP to journalists

Member of Parliament for the Sekondi Constituency in the Western Region of Ghana, Andrew Egyaapa Mercer, has stated that journalists cannot hide behind the curtain of freedom of the press to commit crime and go free.

Speaking to Accra based Joy News on February 15, he stated that, the freedom journalists enjoy in their work does not include the freedom to utter statements that would find them in the chains of the law.

He noted that freedom comes with responsibilities.

“We speak of freedom of speech. You sitting here this morning interrogating issues freely, has someone come to arrest you? You’re doing your job unhindered and so are other journalists in the country. But you’ll agree that some of your colleagues hide behind the so called freedom to commit crime and offend the law and when they are caught all hell breaks loose,” he told the host.

According to him, he was not in support of the arrest of Executive Director of ASEPA Mensah Thompson.

He indicated that the arrest was high handed.

However, he stated that, with the arrest of the #FixTheCountry Convener Oliver Barker-Vormawor, matters of the nature of his comments should definitely be taken serious.

He noted that Oliver has consistently used his platform to glorify coups.

“I don’t want to second guess that police, but as a trained lawyer I know the clear distinction between Mens Rea, which is the intent and Actus Reus which is the action itself. Ordinarily, it's only when the two meet that a crime is said to have taken place, but in matters of this nature; it seems to me as social media means irresponsible media, but it is a serious media because for an individual who has consistently sought the army to subvert the constitution; an invitation for the army to subvert the constitution. His post was clear. This is an individual who uses his platform to glorify coup d’états in Guinea in Mali and yet we sit here glorifying his actions and condemning the police for doing their work. It beats me,” he emphasised.

His comments come on the back of the arrest of Oliver Barker Vormawor, #FixTheCountry convener, Accra FM's Bobie Ansah, jailing of Power FM presenter, Captain Smart of Media General journalist and others over alleged false publication.