The President of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA), Albert Dwumfour, has made a categorical call on the Ghana Police Service to put an immediate stop to ongoing intimidation and harassment of Senior editors and journalists in the country over stories they have published.
Addressing a press conference at the Press Centre on Wednesday, 18 March 2026, Dwumfour indicated that his office has taken note of recent developments regarding the Ghana Police Service’s invitation of senior editors in February 2026, noting that the phenomenon risks creating an atmosphere of fear within the media landscape.
“Quite recently, on 11 February 2026, the Police Criminal Investigations Department (CID) invited some of our colleagues following a report of alleged false news published against them by the CEO of a state agency, despite the same matter being pursued in court as a civil case. This action amounts to intimidation targeted at journalists.
“The Association has also received troubling accounts from one of our colleagues, who reported that following a police invitation on 24th February 2026, he was questioned over publications in his newspaper and asked to respond to unsubstantiated allegations, including claims of extortion involving an unnamed third party,” the GJA President said.
“According to the journalist, despite requests for clarity and evidence, the investigators failed to provide details to substantiate these claims. He was subsequently granted bail and later subjected to further interrogation, including the examination of private communications.
“More concerning is the claim that, under an ex parte court order, the investigator proceeded to seize the journalist’s working tools, including a mobile phone, under unclear circumstances and without proper documentation.
“The journalist maintains that these actions were carried out on suspicion of an unspecified offence, raising serious concerns about due process and the protection of journalistic work,” Dwumfour added.
Stressing the seriousness of the issue, the GJA President pointed out that one of his colleague journalists “informed him that during interrogation over alleged false publication, he was at one point asked to disclose his source, a request he firmly resisted.
“This is why the GJA, alongside other media stakeholders, has consistently called for the repeal of what we describe as “repressive” sections of the Electronic Communications Act, 2008 (Act 775), and the Criminal and Other Offences Act.
“These laws are often weaponised to arrest, intimidate, and muzzle journalists, thereby creating a climate of fear. If you feel defamed, seek redress in the courts of law. Do not hide behind the security services under the pretext of fighting false publications to intimidate and harass journalists,” the GJA President, Albert Dwumfour, remarked.
Background
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Minerals Income Investment Fund (MIIF), Mrs. Justina Nelson, on 19 January 2026, petitioned the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Christian Tetteh Yohuno, to investigate newspaper editors who have published stories about developments at the state institution she leads.
Available information indicates that Mrs. Nelson has not been happy with recent media publications about her stewardship at MIIF, her decision not to release the 2024 audited financial statement of MIIF, and her quest to have the Auditor-General re-audit the financial statement based on what she believes are misstatements in the audited 2024 financials of the fund.
Investigations
The Police commenced investigations following receipt of the petition from the MIIF CEO. The Special Operations Assistance (SOA), a unit under the IGP’s office in the Police Service, is leading the investigation, and Police Detective Confidence Fiagazi is the lead investigator. The investigations are believed to be largely based on suspicions of Malicious publications against Mrs. Justina Nelson.
So far, the editor of the New Crusading Guide, Mr. Ernest Addo, has been invited, and he honoured the invitation in the company of his lawyer, and the founder and managing editor of the New Crusading Guide Newspaper, Kwaku Baako Jr., on Wednesday, 11 February 2026.
The SOA unit has also interrogated Wilberforce Asare, a broadcast journalist, on Tuesday, 24 February 2026, at the Police CID office for about 2 and a half hours. Asare received the invitation by phone from a police Inspector who said he is stationed at the SOA, which is under the IGP’s office. He has subsequently reported on 3 and 16 March 2026 at the police headquarters.
Upon the first invitation, Asare requested a copy of the petition submitted by Mrs. Justina Nelson to prepare his response, but Inspector Confidence declined to provide it and indicated that it would be made available upon attending to the police invitation.
Lawyers representing Wilberforce Asare, Dame and Partners, subsequently obtained a copy of the said petition ahead of the police visit with their client.
Mrs Nelson’s petition read in part as follows, “I respectfully submit this petition to bring to the attention of the Inspector General of Police the persistent, false, malicious, and coordinated publications being made against me in my capacity as Chief Executive Officer of Minerals Income Investment Fund (MIF) as well as against the institution I lead, by both known and unknown individuals operating across social and traditional media platforms.
“These false allegations commenced shortly after my appointment as Chief Executive Officer on 15 January 2025 and have progressively intensified over time in both frequency and severity, with certain individuals repeatedly disseminating unsubstantiated claims intended to damage my personal reputation and undermine the credibility, integrity, and public confidence in MIIF, thereby fostering a climate of misinformation and deliberate reputational harm that necessitates urgent intervention.”
“A matter of serious concern is the conduct of Wilberforce Asare, who through an intermediary known to me, allegedly requesting publication of the 2024 financials of the Fund and publicly declare that under the tenure of the erstwhile administration, the NPP government did well or pay a sum of Ghs100,000 (One hundred thousand Ghana cedis) payment in exchange for ceasing further false and damaging publications about me, a development I consider highly unethical and deeply troubling, as it constitutes a potential act of extortion and reflects the deliberate use of misinformation to cause reputational harm.
During the police interrogation of Wilberforce Asare on 24 February 2026, he vehemently denied all the allegations contained in the MIIF CEO’s petition to the IGP and stated that he stands by all his publications and is ready to defend each of them. On the allegation of extortion, Wilberforce Asare told the police that it was false, unfounded, and a figment of the petitioner’s imagination.
To this end, Mrs. Nelson, in her petition, is seeking that the Police, among others, “summon and question some journalists.” Secondly, “a directive to delete all false and defamatory publications from their respective platforms.” Thirdly, “the issuance of formal retractions of these false Publications.”
Fourthly, “an investigation into any elements of extortion, coordinated disinformation, or malicious intent,” and lastly, “other appropriate remedial, security, or investigative actions deemed necessary following a thorough inquiry.”
Court Action
Mrs. Justina Nelson has already filed a defamation suit against three newspaper editors and six newspapers (defendants), seeking 10 million Ghana cedis for what she says are libelous statements published about her.
Mrs. Nelson, in her action, is also praying the court to place a perpetual injunction against the defendants, whether by themselves, their agents, or assigns, from further publishing or causing to be published the defamatory words against her.
She also wants a retraction and apology by the defendants with equal prominence to the publication of the defamatory words complained of. Lastly, she wants the court to grant her costs, including solicitor’s fees.
Claims
The editors affected are Ken Kuranchie, Wilberforce Asare, and Daniel Bampoe. The newspapers are The Daily Searchlight, The Source, The Daily Gist, The Custodian, The Ghanaian Publisher, and The New Crusading Guide.
In her statement of claim, Mrs Justina Nelson indicated that the newspapers and the editors published, on 26 November 2025, what she says are “libelous statements against her, falsely alleging her involvement in financial mismanagement and the coercion of the Auditor General.”
“The words complained of are meant and were understood to mean that: The plaintiff has deliberately and with malice manufactured and misrepresented figures in a financial statement of MllF for purposes of portraying mismanagement.
“The plaintiff is incompetent and engaged in the criminal activity of falsification of official records for the purpose of misleading state institutions and engineering wrongful arrest. The plaintiff has attempted to force and/or coerce the Auditor-General of Ghana to falsify audited accounts of MllF,” the statement of claim read.
“The above statements are untrue, malicious, and published without justification. The defendants knew or ought to have known that these allegations were false and made with reckless disregard for the truth.
“As a direct result of these publications, the plaintiff has suffered grave injury to her character, credit, and reputation, as well as significant hurt, distress, and embarrassment.
“The defendants deliberately orchestrated the defamation campaign, knowing its falsity or recklessly disregarding the truth, with the intention of causing substantial reputational harm to the plaintiff (Mrs Justina Nelson),” the statement of claim further read.
