[2015]DLNMC4600 Login to Read Full Case <span style="font-size: 18px !important;"><p class="MsoNoSpacing" align="center" style="text-align:center;line-height:115%"><span class="None"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%">NANA ADDO DANKWA AKUFO ADDO </span></span><span class="None"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt; line-height:115%"><o:p></o:p></span></b></span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing" align="center" style="text-align:center;line-height:115%"><span class="None"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%">vs. </span></span><span class="None"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%"><o:p></o:p></span></b></span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing" align="center" style="text-align:center;line-height:115%"><span class="None"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%">DAILY POST, GHANAIAN LENS, THE ENQUIRER, INFORMER AND AL-HAJJ NEWESPAPER </span></span><span class="None"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;color:#92D050"> </span></span><span class="None"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;color:#92D050"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing" align="center" style="text-align:center;line-height:115%"><span class="None"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;color:#92D050"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing" align="center" style="text-align:center;line-height:115%"><span class="None"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%">[NATIONAL MEDIA COMMISSION]</span></span><span class="None"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt; line-height:115%"><o:p></o:p></span></b></span></p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid black 1.5pt; padding:31.0pt 31.0pt 0in 31.0pt;mso-border-shadow:yes"> <p class="MsoNoSpacing" align="center" style="text-align:center;line-height:115%; border:none;mso-border-bottom-alt:solid black 1.5pt;padding:0in;mso-padding-alt: 31.0pt 31.0pt 0in 31.0pt;mso-border-shadow:yes"><span class="None">(2015) NMC DLR 001 6<sup>TH</sup> FEBRUARY 2015<b><o:p></o:p></b></span></p> </div><p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height:115%"><span class="None"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height:115%"><span class="None"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%">DECISION GIVEN BY: <o:p></o:p></span></span></p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid black 1.5pt; padding:31.0pt 31.0pt 0in 31.0pt;mso-border-shadow:yes"> <p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height:115%;border:none;mso-border-bottom-alt: solid black 1.5pt;padding:0in;mso-padding-alt:31.0pt 31.0pt 0in 31.0pt; mso-border-shadow:yes"><span class="None"><span style="font-size:12.0pt; line-height:115%">AMBASSADOR KABRAL BLAY-AMIHERE (CHAIRMAN NMC) <o:p></o:p></span></span></p> </div><p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height:115%"><span class="None"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid black 1.5pt; padding:31.0pt 31.0pt 0in 31.0pt;mso-border-shadow:yes"> <p class="BodyA" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt; text-align:center;border:none;mso-border-bottom-alt:solid black 1.5pt; padding:0in;mso-padding-alt:31.0pt 31.0pt 0in 31.0pt;mso-border-shadow:yes"><span class="None"><span lang="ES-TRAD" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%; mso-ansi-language:ES-TRAD">DECISION</span><span lang="DE"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> </div><p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%"><span class="None"> </span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%"><span class="None"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%">On 16<sup>th</sup> June, 2014 Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo filed a complaint with the Commission against publications in the following newspapers, the Daily Post, Ghanaian Lens, The Enquirer, Informer and Al Hajj newspapers. According to the complainant, the above listed newspapers in various publications between Monday June 8<sup>th</sup>, 2014 and 14<sup>th</sup> June, 2014 wrote stories that were “offensive and derogatory". <o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%"><span class="None"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%"><span class="None"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%">The publications complained of were as follows: <o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left:39.0pt;text-align:justify;text-indent: -.25in;line-height:115%;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo2"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:Symbol;mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;mso-bidi-font-family:Symbol">·<span style="font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%; font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">The Daily Post, Monday 9</span><span class="None"><sup><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%">th</span></sup></span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif""> June 2014 pages 1,3 and 14 headlined as </span><span class="None"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%">"AKUFO ADDO BUSTED AT LAST - he attended nocturnal meeting with drug barons to raise funds for his 2012 campaign in the hotel of the drug baron he claims he does not know"</span></span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left:39.0pt;text-align:justify;text-indent: -.25in;line-height:115%;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo2"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:Symbol;mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;mso-bidi-font-family:Symbol">·<span style="font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%; font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">The Daily Post, Wednesday 11th June 2014- pages 1, 3 .and 14 headlined as </span><span class="None"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;line-height:115%">"AKUFO ADDO GOES DEAF, BLIND AND DUMB ... over publications of his fund raising meeting with drug barons at the Le Baron hotel in January, 2012"</span></span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height: 115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left:39.0pt;text-align:justify;text-indent: -.25in;line-height:115%;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo2"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:Symbol;mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;mso-bidi-font-family:Symbol">·<span style="font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%; font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">The Ghanaian Lens, Monday, June 9, 2014 - pages 1, 2 and 3 headlined as </span><span class="None"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;line-height:115%">"AKUFO ADDO'S LINKS WITH DRUG BARONS CONFIRMED". </span></span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%; font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif""><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left:39.0pt;text-align:justify;text-indent: -.25in;line-height:115%;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo2"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:Symbol;mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;mso-bidi-font-family:Symbol">·<span style="font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span class="None"><span style="font-size:12.0pt; line-height:115%">The Enquirer, Monday, 9 June, 2014 - pages 1 and 4 headlined as "</span></span><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%; font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">After Ken Agyepong's Revelation on Radio ARRESTED DRUG BARON MET NANA ADDO IN 2012 ... To plan How to Finance Presidential Campaign". <o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left:39.0pt;text-align:justify;text-indent: -.25in;line-height:115%;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo2"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:Symbol;mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;mso-bidi-font-family:Symbol">·<span style="font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%; font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">The Informer, Monday, June 09, Tuesday, June 10, 2014 - pages 1 and 4 headlined as "Explosive Evidence Reveals ... AKUFO-ADDO LIES ABOUT HIS ASSOCIATION With Arrested Drug Dealer". <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left:39.0pt;text-align:justify;text-indent: -.25in;line-height:115%;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo2"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:Symbol;mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;mso-bidi-font-family:Symbol">·<span style="font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span class="None"><span style="font-size:12.0pt; line-height:115%">The Al-Hajj, Tuesday, 10 June, 2014 - pages 1, 2 and 3 headlined as </span></span><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%; font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">"Cocaine: Le Baron Owner Begins Singing: NPP MEN FACE EXTRADICTION" . <o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%"><span class="None"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%"><span class="None"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%">In the letter of complaint signed by his counsel, Godfred Yeboah Dame, the complainant stated that the "substance of the stories complained of, are in all essentials utterly false, a product of the imagination of the publishers of the newspapers specified above" and sought as relief "severest sanctions to be visited on the newspapers in question in accordance of Act 449" which set up the Commission. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%"><span