Journalist and Editor of The Herald newspaper, Larry Alans Dogbey, has been granted bail after briefly being jailed for contempt of court.
Dogbey was on Thursday, June 25, sentenced to seven days in prison by the Accra High Court, presided over by Justice Isaac Addo, after being found guilty of contempt in relation to publications tied to a legal dispute between businessman Kevin Okyere, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Springfield Exploration and Production Limited (SEP), and Petraco SA.
The contempt proceedings arose from articles published by The Herald concerning a petition filed by Petraco SA against Okyere.
The court held that Dogbey failed to comply with an interlocutory injunction restraining him from publishing further statements on the matter.
Although Dogbey argued during cross-examination that he had not been served with notice to cease publication, Justice Isaac Addo ordered the immediate issuance of a Warrant of Committal to the Director-General of the Ghana Prisons Service, or his designated officers, to enforce the sentence.
The court further stated that Dogbey had shown clear disregard for its authority.
“Despite this clear and unambiguous judicial directive, the Respondent willfully, contumaciously, and in flagrant disregard of the authority of this Court proceeded to breach the said Order of 11th June, 2025. The power of this Court to punish for contempt is grounded in Article 126(2) of the 1992 Constitution and Order 50 of the High Court (Civil Procedure) Rules, 2004.”
It added: “Let a Warrant of Committal be issued immediately to the Director-General of the Ghana Prisons Service, or his designated officers, to carry this sentence into effect.”
Dogbey had earlier confirmed the conviction in a social media post, stating: “Justice Isaac Addo of an Accra High Court has just convicted me and sentenced me to seven days’ imprisonment in the case involving Kevin Okyere and Petraco SA. The Herald newspaper reported only on a petition filed by the multinational company with CID, EOCO, GIS, the Attorney General, etc. Ghana deserves better. Journalism is not a crime.”
He was, however, granted bail on Friday, June 26.
Earlier, the Private Newspapers and Online News Publishers Association of Ghana (PRINPAG) described the seven-day prison sentence imposed on Larry Alans Dogbe as harsh, unreasonable and disproportionate, particularly in view of the circumstances surrounding the substituted service, the disputed notice and the constitutional protections guaranteed to journalists under Articles 162 and 165 of the 1992 Constitution.
In a statement signed by its President, David Tamakloe, PRINPAG expressed deep concern over the judgment delivered by the Accra High Court in the case of Kevin Okyere v. Larry Alans Dogbe, which resulted in Dogbe’s conviction for contempt of court.
