An Accra High Court has convicted and sentenced prominent Ghanaian journalist Larry Dogbey to seven days in prison for contempt of court.
Justice Isaac Addo handed down the sentence on Thursday, June 25, 2026. Mr. Dogbey is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of The Herald newspaper.
In a social media post shortly after the ruling, Dogbey expressed disappointment at the conviction, insisting that his newspaper had only reported on an official petition filed by a multinational company.
“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, Attorney General etc. Ghana deserves better. Journalism is not a crime,” he wrote.
The contempt case arose from The Herald’s coverage of a petition submitted by Petraco SA against Kevin Okyere, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Springfield Exploration and Production Limited (SEP).
The petition was addressed to several state institutions, including the Criminal Investigations Department (CID), the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO), the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS), and the Attorney-General’s Department.
According to Dogbey, the publication of the petition’s details led to Okyere’s arrest and detention in Dubai.
Specific details of the contempt proceedings and the exact grounds for Justice Addo’s ruling were not immediately available.
The conviction has triggered discussions within Ghana’s media fraternity, with many closely watching the case. Dogbey maintains that the reports were based solely on information contained in an official petition submitted to state investigative agencies.
He is expected to begin serving the seven-day custodial sentence immediately.
