Blessed Godsbrain Smart, popularly known as “Captain Smart”, who was arrested on Thursday following some “unsavoury pronouncements he made regarding the country’s peace and gsecurity, ”has been released.
At the Nima Police Station, Smart was cautioned on the “offence of offensive conduct conducive to breaches of the peace as provided under section 207 of the Criminal Act, 1960 (Act 29).”
He authored a caution statement and was granted ball.
A statement signed by Mr Christopher Koney, Group Head, of Corporate Affairs, said at about 1100 hours on Thursday, Captain Smart, the host of the morning show “Onua Maakye on Onua TV/FM received officers from the National Investigations Bureau (NIB) in his home who invited him to their office, to which he obliged.
It said he was subsequently taken to the Nima Police station in Accra for interrogation.
The statement said according to the Police, the arrest of Captain Smart was due to some “unsavoury pronouncements he was alleged to have made that, according to them, hinged on the peace and security of the country.”
It said however, Media General believed that the statement made by Captain Smart should not be one that should be interpreted in the manner that the Police did and also to add that they were increasingly concerned about the new trend of arrest of journalists and media practitioners.
The statement said this recent trend of picking journalists had affected journalists who worked with Media General who were simply doing their work and, like every Ghanaian, should be protected by the Constitution.
It said the arrest and detention of Captain Smart was by no means an isolated incident, but just one more “egregious” example of the intolerance increasingly creeping into the Ghanaian society.
The statement said that a careful review of the entire statement made by Captain Smart would reveal that it did not amount to threats to the peace and or stability of the country as claimed by the Ghana Police Service.
It urged the Ghana Police Service and the IGP to exercise restraint in their dealings with journalists legitimately doing their work and dismiss these broad charges so that press freedom would be protected.
The statement said Media General shall continue to preach and exercise responsible journalism.
It said however, journalists and broadcasters need to continuously be empowered to be fearless, honest and forthright in their professional outlook always.
