The Deputy Director-General of the Ghana Maritime Authority (GMA), Mubarick Masawudu, has given Insight newspaper and two other media houses seven days to retract a publication accusing him of using “land guards” in a private land dispute.
In a notice to the media houses on Tuesday, September 15, lawyers for Mr Masawudu demanded a retraction of the report, an apology and the removal of the publication from all digital and online platforms.
The notice, issued by law firm LIMO@LAW, said the report, published on the front page of Insight newspaper on September 10, contained allegations that were not properly verified before publication.
The lawyers also argued that their client was not given an opportunity to respond to the allegations before the story was published.
They said established journalistic standards require media organisations to undertake the necessary enquiries, verify allegations and cross-check facts before publication.
LIMO@LAW described the publication as a serious departure from accepted journalistic standards and said it had the potential to damage the reputation of the GMA Deputy Director-General.
The lawyers have therefore given the three media houses seven days from the date of the notice to retract the report, issue the requested apology and remove the publication from their platforms.
They warned that failure to comply with the demands would result in legal action.
Source: Wesleyannews.com
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