Ghanaian blogger Jeffrey Epprim Nyame has been sentenced to a 30-day jail term for the publication of false news.
However, the court acquitted and discharged Jeremiah Kobina Egyabeng, an IT professional, who also faced a charge of abutment. John Baptist Ayitse, a lawyer acting as a friend of the court, attempted to seek clemency for Nyame, pleading that the blogger is young and has learned vital lessons from his conduct and its attendant consequences.
The convict himself supported the plea for mercy by pledging not to repeat the offence. However, neither the profuse pleas for mercy by both the accused and John Baptist Ayitse could change Judge Isaac Addo’s mind. He insisted on handing down a custodial sentence to Nyame instead of the requested non-custodial one.
The judge expressed serious concern about the unfettered publication of false news on social media, resulting from a hasty desire to be the first to publish information without verifying its veracity and accuracy. Isaac Addo emphasised the need to “crack the whip” to serve as a deterrent to others who abuse social media to spread misinformation, which creates fear and panic.
The prosecution team, led by Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Seth Frimpong, told the court that Nyame published the false news on his news portal, reportghana.net, on 27th October 2022.
According to the prosecution, the article, captioned “Dollar account holders to get cedi at BoG rate for bank withdrawal effective 31st Oct?”, was circulated on various WhatsApp platforms, creating fear and panic among the public. It argued that the false news caused bank customers to resort to panic withdrawals, creating a difficult situation for financial institutions.
pulse/daybreak
