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Tag: Metro TV

  • Police probe invasion of Metro TV by some of its officers

    Police probe invasion of Metro TV by some of its officers

    The Ghana Police Service says it has commenced an investigation into an incident that occurred at the premises of Metro TV in Accra this morning, Wednesday, 27th November.

    Preliminary Police investigations indicate that upon a request from the court, police officers accompanied a court bailiff in the company of the judgment creditor, Vodacom Business (Ghana) Limited, to execute a court order against Metro TV.

    Host of the Good Morning Ghana show on Metro TV, Randy Abbey, in a viral video, has recounted the manner in which some policemen ambushed him and sought to seize his vehicle at the car park of the media house yesterday.

    In a video gone viral, Mr Abbey noted that the officers indicated that they had secured a court order against Metro TV, hence their actions.

    He prevented this from happening, and this led to a tense situation that unfolded earlier this morning at the premises of Accra-based Metro TV, as a group of armed police officers, accompanied by other unidentified individuals, attempted to forcibly break into the station’s popular Good Morning Ghana show studio.

    https://twitter.com/olelesalvador/status/1861750609117954428?s=46

    https://twitter.com/SIKAOFFICIAL1/status/1861722533076079017

    The incident led to a clash between the police and the station’s staff, including a confrontation between host Randy Abbey and the officers.

    The station’s private security personnel tried to prevent the intrusion but were injured during the altercation. They are currently receiving medical attention for their injuries.

    https://twitter.com/ICEPLANT4/status/1861725191254032464

    In one of the viral videos circulating online, Randy Abbey, visibly shaken, confronted the police officers, questioning their motives for being at the station and attempting to breach the studio.

    This incident has raised concerns about press freedom in Ghana, especially when the country prepares to go to the polls in about 10 days.

    The Police are however, urging the public, particularly the management and staff of Metro TV, to remain calm and cooperate with the Police in the ongoing investigation.

    https://twitter.com/GhPoliceService/status/1861772947729400091

  • Armed police men attempt to break into Metro TV studio, clash with Randy Abbey

    Armed police men attempt to break into Metro TV studio, clash with Randy Abbey

    A tense situation unfolded earlier this morning at the premises of Accra-based Metro TV, as a group of armed police officers, accompanied by other unidentified individuals, attempted to forcibly break into the station’s popular Good Morning Ghana show studio.

    The incident led to a clash between the police and the station’s staff, including a confrontation between host Randy Abbey and the officers.

    The station’s private security personnel tried to prevent the intrusion but were injured during the altercation. They are currently receiving medical attention for their injuries.

    In one of the viral videos circulating online, Randy Abbey, visibly shaken, confronted the police officers, questioning their motives for being at the station and attempting to breach the studio.

    The reason for the police presence and their attempt to enter the studio remains unclear.

    This incident has raised concerns about press freedom in Ghana, especially when the country prepares to go to the polls in about 10 days.

    https://twitter.com/SIKAOFFICIAL1/status/1861722533076079017

    https://twitter.com/ICEPLANT4/status/1861725191254032464

  • BoG Wing Commander Security director is senior to Rawlings – Paul Adom-Otchere fumes

    Journalist and Metro TV’s Good Evening Ghana show host, Paul Adom-Otchere, has weighed in on the minority’s refusal to present their petition to the representative of the Bank of Ghana (BoG) governor and Head of Security, Wing Commander Kwame Asare Boateng, slamming the leadership of the National Democratic Congress for their “contemptuous” disregard for BoG’s head of security.

    Paul Adom-Otchere, while speaking on his show on October 3, 2023, mentioned that the receiving of the petition by the head of security on behalf of the BoG governor was no sign of disrespect, as purported by the NDC, an act that dates way back to the time of late president Fiifi Atta Mills and Flt.Lt. Jerry Rawlings.

    Considering the weight of ranks compared to the late Flt.Ltd. Jerry John Rawlings, founder of the NDC, Paul noted that Wing Commander Kwame Asare is senior to the founder of the “whole NDC.”

    He said, “Now who is a wing commander ? He is higher than a flight lieutenant.We had a flight lieutenant who became a commander in chief and later a successful president. You respect him but you don’t respect a wing commander higher than a flight lieutenant?

    “I don’t understand the NDC. You had a flight lieutenant setting up your party and a flight ltd will salute a wing commander every morning, and you’ve come to meet the wing commander and you say I won’t hand a petition to you because you are security; your party was set up by a flight lieutenant. Your whole NDC was founded by his junior.

    “Flt. Lt. Rawlings is junior to this man. Flt. Lt. Rawlings, a captain, set up your while party; you respect that,” he fumed.

    He said the leadership of the NDC has rather disrespected Wing Commander Kwame after Minority Leader Ato Forson remarked that “we never said we were going to present our petition to the head of security or someone responsible for security”.

    Apologising on behalf of the NDC , Paul called out the leadership of the NDC to rather apologise to BoG’s head of security for their gross disrespect.

    “I was totally surprised; that is totally disrespectful, not just to the man but also if you look at Ato Forson and the man’s profile, given that Ato Forson has been elected by some people, I respect that but if you look at the man’s profile, Ato Forson should not be able to tell him that you have disrespected me

    “Why do you disrespect such an important person because he was called security? You are the minority leader; you read through documents all the time,” Paul noted.

    On October 3, 2023, hundreds of Ghanaians led by the Minority in Parliament throng the streets to demand the removal of BoG’s governor, Dr. Ernest Addison, who is accused of mismanaging the Central Bank.

    Hopeful of meeting the governor himself, they were left disappointed and feeling “disrespected,” as mentioned by the Minority Leader, Cassiel Ato Forson, after Head of Security, Wing Commander Kwame Asare Boateng, announced he would be receiving the petition on the governor’s behalf.

    He informed the delegation that Dr Addison had been occupied by a team from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), hence his absence.

    The Minority Leader, Dr Ato Forson, in turn, got upset and vented his spleen over what he described as gross disrespect by the BoG Governor to Parliament and Ghanaians.

    Dr Ato Forson refused to present the petition to Wing Commander Kwame Asare Boateng (rtd), stressing that another protest would be held in the coming days.

    According to the Minority Leader, the next demonstration will afford the BoG Governor the opportunity to show up and right his wrongs.

  • ‘Funfair’ arrest and search unnecessary – Paul Adom-Otchere chides Special Prosecutor

    Metro TV journalist Paul Adom-Otchere, has slammed the Office Of President (OSP) for what he claims is a ‘funfair arrest and unnecessary search’ exhibited by the office meted out to the former Minister of Sanitation, Cecilia Dapaah.

    According to him, the OSP’s modus operandi was far from ideal. He expressed dissatisfaction with the approach used by the OSP, suggesting that it could have been handled better or more effectively.

    “ There is a reason why the CID department does not wear police uniforms. The reason is Because an individual is innocent until proven guilty, you don’t want to generate a stigma or a narrative that someone is guilty. So until the person has committed a culpable like an armed robber etc they go in plain clothes so that the individual is not stigmatized. If a special prosecutor goes to arrest in a dramatic fashion and it is live on TV.

    “ You have to wait for the court to judge, the OSP cannot say that Cecila Dapaah has stolen the money.

    “Old people don’t trust internet banking, the banking laws do not frown on keeping monies at home, the police do not cannot prosecute you for keeping money at home,” he added. 

    His comments come after the OSP searched the home of the former Minister, in respect of suspected corruption and corruption-related offences regarding large amounts of money and other valuable items reportedly stolen from her residence.

    Mr Adom-Otchere also denied OSP’s discovery of additional money at Cecilia Abena Dapaah’s residence.

    “We understand that it is untrue and the OSP must come out and clarify, we tried to search about this and what we have is that it is not true.

    “We don’t know why TV3 has been carrying this story since midday. It has no source, neither the Special Prosecutor or his deputy. If TV3 has further and better particulars, they should publish it tomorrow or even tonight.

    “Because our sources indicate that the Special Prosecutor has said it is not true,” he added.

    On Friday, July 21, 2023 the home of the former minister was reported to have been robbed of US$1 million, €300,000 and other valuables by two of her domestic servants.

    According to Madam Dapaah, the reported amounts of money stolen in the media is inconsistent with the original complaint she filed.

    She stepped down from her position owing to pressure from National Democratic Congress (NDC) Members of Parliament 48 hours after it was revealed that she had lost millions of dollars and cedis in her home.

    According to Madam Cecilia Dapaah, her decision is to prevent the matter from becoming a preoccupation of government and a hindrance to the work of government at such a crucial time.

    “Whereas I can state emphatically that those figures do not represent correctly what my husband and I reported to the Police, I am very much aware of the import of such stories around someone in my position.”

    She also assured of her willingness to cooperate fully with all state agencies to enable them fully establish the facts.

    “I have no doubt whatsoever that at the end of the process, it will be fully established that I have conducted myself with integrity during my period in public service and I will be fully exonerated from all the allegations that have filled the public domain in the past 24 hours,” she added.

  • Bridget Otoo returns to Metro TV

    Bridget Otoo returns to Metro TV

    Media personality, Bridget Otoo, has gone into an agreement with management of Metro TV to venture into broadcast journalism once again.

    The media house is not a new space for Bridget as she joined Metro TV in August 2021 after being off screen for over a year following her departure from TV3.

    Not long after joining Metro TV, there were speculations that the journalist had parted ways with the company over political issues.

    But the management of Metro TV debunked these rumors, noting that “Our latest addition Bridget Otoo remains a part of the Metro TV family and a happy one as such. Rumours alleging government’s interplay in a supposed dismissal from this august organisation are totally false and should not be heeded.”

    “Bridget is happy to be here as are we, having her on board and we look forward to reaching higher heights together,” it added.

    The grapevines remained and following this, Bridget had been off screen for about 6 months but the reasons remain unknown.

    However, what is substantive is Bridget’s return to Newsnight at 7pm on Metro TV, per close sources.

    This is said to be the handwork of management who were able to persuade the journalist to make her return.

    Source: The Independent Ghana

  • Randy Abbey takes on NIA over Aisha Huang’s Ghana Card

    The host of Metro TV’s Good Morning Ghana program, Randy Abbey, has criticised the National Identification Authority (NIA) for failing to exercise due diligence when issuing a Ghana card to Aisha Huang.

    According to him, when the NIA initially noticed Aisha Huang’s attempt to renew her card, it ought to have known she was up to something.

    Mr Abbey asserted that the NIA should have ordered Aisha Huang’s arrest as soon as they realized she was attempting to register using new credentials.

    “A few days ago we were discussing this NIA card issue and Dzifa Gunu sent us a message that his NIA card has not been sent to him because his biometrics match that of an impaired person so since June, he has not had Ghana card.

    “If you read the NIA statement (on Aisha Huang) they tell us that this woman went to the office at Tamale to register with a different passport Her biometrics matched that of the one in their system already. When they questioned her, she told them she had changed her name, although the difference was not the name but the date of birth as well.

    “They then gave her the option to either bring a sworn affidavit to effect that change or do the renewal on the basis of the information they have already and I’m like who does this? She opted to do the renewal on what they have already.

    “This is somebody who has come not with the view to amending her record but with a new passport attempting to register anew. That is different from the people who went to El-Wak Stadium with few challenges. This is a person who comes with a new passport attempting to acquire a new card as a different person, your system detects that her biometrics matches that of somebody in there, she confirms I’m the same person and you okay bring an affidavit so that we can effect the change for you. This is someone who has clearly established an intent”.

    Aisha Huang is facing trial in court following her re-arrest. Aisha Huang is facing two charges; mining without a license and sale of minerals without a license.

    The court on September 14, 2022, denied Aisha Huang and 3 other accused persons bail after they pleaded not guilty.

    She is expected to reappear on September 27, 2022.