Sammy Darko, a private legal practitioner, has questioned the relevance of the law that covers the publication of false news with the intent to cause fear and panic.
Commenting on Section 208 (1) of the Criminal Code, Mr. Darko said, “there is no democratic country where you are going to find this law on causing fear and alarm. You won’t find it.”
“It is retrogressive, it is Draconian, and it sins against any international human rights law,” he added on the Citi Breakfast Show.
Section 208 (1) of the Criminal Code notes that: “any person who publishes or reproduces any statement, rumour or report which is likely to cause fear and alarm to the public or to disturb the public peace, knowing or having reason to believe that the statement, rumour or report is false, is guilty of the misdemeanour.”
Mr. Darko’s comments follow the arrest of the convener of the #FixTheCountry Movement, Oliver Barker-Vormawor, for comments on social media that have been deemed to be a coup threat.
Mr. Barker-Vormawor was arrested on February 11, when he returned to Ghana from Portugal.
He has since been charged with treason felony and remanded until February 28.
In a separate incident, Accra FM’s Kwabena Bobie Ansah was arrested for the publication of false news and offensive conduct last Thursday evening.
He is said to have accused the First Lady and the Vice President’s wife of giving themselves state lands at the AU Village.
The Executive Director of ASEPA, Mensah Thompson, has also been charged with the publication of false news and offensive conduct conducive to the breach of peace.
Mr. Thompson put up a Facebook post in 2021 alleging that President Akufo-Addo’s relatives had used the presidential jet on a shopping spree in the United Kingdom.
