The Ethics Committee of the Ghana Journalists Association has amicably settled a complaint brought against the "Ghanaian Democrat" in December last year by the Ministry of Defence which accused the newspaper of repeatedly "packaging sensational stories about the Ghana Armed Forces".

The Ministry of Defence in the complaint further accused the Ghanaian Democrat of "a deliberate, malicious planned and consistent attempt to publish stories that are aimed at inciting troops and thereby causing disaffection among them."

It also accused the newspaper of not publishing the Ministry's rejoinder to the various stories the "Ghanaian Democrat" had carried about the Ghana Armed Forces.

At a meeting of the Ethics Committee on 16th January 2002, attended by the Editor of the Ghanaian Democrat, Alhaji Razak El Alawa and representatives of the Ministry of Defence, the matter was resolved in a spirit of cordiality.

The MOD was represented by Brigadier F. Adu Amanfoh, Head of Defence Intelligence and Lieutenant-Colonel Emmanuel Nibo, Director of the Armed Forces Public Relations Directorate.

While the Committee acknowledged that nobody could compel the Ghanaian Democrat to disclose the source of its information on the military, it however insisted that it was only fair that such stories, especially those that make serious allegations affecting national security, should be cross-checked with the military authorities for their version before publication.

The Committee rejected Alhaji El Alawa's assertion that even if the Ghanaian Democrat had gone to cross-check its stories with the military authorities they would not have cooperated.

The Committee repeated the fact that it was the duty of newspapers to cross-check their stories in consonance with Article 1 (iii) of the GJA Code of Ethics on the People's Right to True Information which requires that "a journalist should make adequate inquiries and cross-check his/her facts."

The Editor of The Ghanaian Democrat explained that he had received only one out of the numerous rejoinders the Ministry of Defence had issued. He said in many cases, he had either seen them in other newspapers or heard them on the radio.

Lt-Col. Nibo promised to ensure that in future, all such rejoinders reached the office of the Ghanaian Democrat. Alhaji El Alawa on his part promised to cross-check his stories on the military. The two military officers accepted this in good faith.

The two parties agreed that the meeting had offered them the opportunity to open direct channels of communication between the Ghanaian Democrat and the Ministry of Defence which would help to ensure a balanced and accurate presentation of stories in the future.