The Chief Editor of the Daily Guide newspaper, Alhaji AR Gomda, has described as unfortunate and worrying the invasion of the paper’s Kumasi Office by members of the Kumasi Youth Association.
The youth group attacked the media house over its report on the recent banking case in the UK which mentioned Otumfuo Osei Tutu – a report they believe tarnishes the image of the King. A reporter for the paper in Kumasi Ernest Kofi Adu who spoke to StarrFMonline.com said the group has locked up the office and warned them to retract their reportage about the monarch before they will be given access to the office.
“We came to the office this morning to see that our office has been locked by the guys who call themselves Kumasi Youth Association. They say until we retract our story and go to the Manhyia to apologise to the King, they will permanently shut down the office”.
Speaking on the development on Morning Starr with Francis Abban, Alhaji Gomda chastised the youth group, saying “obviously, Otumfuo will not allow this thing to go on. Unfortunately, he is not in town.”
“It is worrying really. I don’t see why this kind of thing should happen. We just did an innocuous story, very careful about the subject we were dealing with. The story was innocuous. The headline was okay. I don’t know why they would behave this way.
“The development which came after the main story was also positive for Asanteman and the Asantehene. I don’t know why they have gone on rampage and gone to lock up our office. It is disturbing really,” he added.
Background
The Asantehene was reported in a British newspaper to have given £200,000 as well as $200,000 with consecutive serial numbers to a banker, Mr Arthur, to be deposited on his behalf at the Ghana International Bank Plc.
The story claimed that Mr Arthur had said he could not conduct the necessary due diligence before depositing the money because he was a subject of the Asantehene and could not question him over the money or any other issue.
He has since been sacked by the bank and the matter has become a subject of litigation before an employment tribunal in the UK.
Mr Arthur is reported to have been sacked by the bank after the bank he allegedly transferred the money to in Jersey, one of the British Isles.
Source: Ghana/Starrfmonline.com/103.5FM
