The dreaded culture of silence and brute force perpetrated under military juntas have sadly resurfaced in the three-month-old presidency of John Dramani Mahama.
Less than 100 days into the presidency of Mr. Mahama, three journalists have been arrested for merely writing and expressing their views on issues of national importance, a phenomenon that occurred under the military rule of the Provisional National Defence Council (PNDC), the antecedent of the current governing National Democratic Congress (NDC).
The journalists picked up for marathon interrogation include Gordon Asare Bediako of Wontumi Media Group and ABC News, Okatakyie Afrifa-Mensah, host of ‘For The Records’ podcast; and Prosper Agbenyega of Current Issues Newspaper.
Also in a wanton display of brute force akin to brutalities of military regimes, houses of former appointees and associates have been raided by gun-wielding national security operatives.
Former Minister for Finance Ken Ofori-Atta, former Governor of Bank of Ghana Dr Ernest Addison; and Yakubu Issahaku, the Aide-de-Camp (ADC) of former Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia are some of the casualties of these armed raids.
Press freedom under attack
The arrest of the journalists, has raised fresh concerns about Ghana’s commitment to press freedom and freedom of expression under the Mahama administration.
While Gordon Asare Bediako and Okatakyie Afrifa-Mensah have been granted bail and reporting to the security agencies on given dates, Agbenyega is not required to report again.
In fact, Asare-Bediako was arrested by the Office of Special Prosecutor (OSP) on charges of “false publication and false communication” and granted bail in the sum of GH¢5 million with two sureties.
Civil society groups, press associations like the Ghana Journalist Association (GJA) and Private Newspaper Publishers Association of Ghana (PRINPAG) as well as free speech advocates are warning of a chilling effect on independent journalism if the trend continues.
Asare-Bediako’s arrest
Journalist Asare-Bediako was arrested on Wednesday, April 2, 2025 following an invitation from someone from the OSP.
The caller reportedly described the meeting as a “mere conversation,” prompting the journalist to honour the invitation at his workplace, Movement TV and Wontumi Radio.
However, upon arrival, he was confronted by five individuals who interrogated him over comments made on Movement TV.
The subject of scrutiny was a statement he made suggesting that the Special Prosecutor, Kissi Agyebeng had requested for a private jet from the previous New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration due to the high-risk nature of his work.
Mr. Asare-Bediako stood by his remarks, explaining that they were based on information received from a source.
He was pressured to disclose that source, a demand seen by press freedom advocates as a violation of journalistic ethics.
“I was assured it would be a simple conversation. “But it quickly turned into something more intense. I even asked if I could bring in a lawyer if necessary,” Mr. Asare-Bediako recounted.
Afrifa-Mensah arrested twice in 2 weeks
Okatakyie Afrifa Mensah was first arrested on Wednesday, March 19, 2025 by operatives from the National Security Secretariat.
According to eyewitness accounts, he was picked up near the Kingsby Hotel at Achimota while returning from an examination at the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA).
In a surprising turn of events, Afrifa Mensah was again picked up on March 25, this time by the Cyber Crime Unit of the Ghana Police Service, making it his second arrest in less than two weeks.
No official charge has been announced publicly, sparking speculation over the reasons behind the repeated detentions.
Agbenyega questioned over ECG container story
On April 7, 2025, Agbenyega, Editor of Current Issues Newspaper, was invited for questioning by the National Security Secretariat following a report he published involving movement of Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) containers at the Tema Port.
The publication in question referenced a letter circulating on social media, suggesting that the National Security Coordinator, DCOP Abdu-Razak Osman had applied to take custody of over 700 containers belonging to the ECG locked up at the Port.
Agbenyega stated that the interrogation lasted roughly three hours and focused on verifying the source of the letter, which had by the way, been circulated on social media and details of the story.
Ghana’s press freedom rankings
The arrests have raised alarm among press freedom watchdogs and international observers.
Ghana, once hailed as a regional beacon for media independence, risks slipping further down global Press Freedom Index rankings if the current trend continues.
Analysts fear the arrests could have international repercussions for Ghana’s image and credibility in the global community, especially with upcoming reviews by watchdog organizations.
Repeal of criminal libel law
On July 27 2001, Ghana repealed its criminal libel and seditious laws under the presidency of John Agyekum Kufuor of the NPP.
The country’s Parliament unanimously voted to change the Criminal Code (Repeal of the Criminal and Seditious Laws – Amendment Bill) Act 2001), a law by which many journalists had previously been jailed for doing their job.
By the watershed repeal, Ghana walked away from an oppressive lineage of military dictatorships and flaunted the country’s democratic intentions before the world.
However, almost 24 years after the repeal of the law, journalists are now being arrested for free expression of their views.
Call for legal protection
Media advocates are calling for transparency in all proceedings and urging the government to reaffirm its commitment to constitutional protections for free speech and a free press.
The government has yet to release an official response to the incidents.
