Herald newspaper editor Larry Dogbey jailed for ‘wrong’ publication

The conviction and sentencing of Herald newspaper Managing Editor, Larry Alans Dogbey, to seven days’ imprisonment for contempt of court has reignited national debate over the limits of investigative journalism, judicial authority and media reporting on matters before the courts.

Justice Isaac Addo of the Accra High Court handed down the sentence after finding Mr. Larry Dogbey in contempt in proceedings initiated by businessman and Springfield Exploration & Production founder, Kevin Okyere.

The court ruled that the journalist breached a subsisting injunction which restrained him and his media outlet from publishing material considered capable of damaging Mr. Okyere’s reputation while an underlying civil dispute remained pending before the court.

Moments after the ruling, Mr. Larry Dogbey took to social media to express disappointment over the decision, insisting that The Herald merely reported on petitions submitted by a multinational company to various state investigative institutions.

“Justice Isaac Addo of an Accra High Court has just convicted me and sentenced me to seven days’ imprisonment in the case involving Kevin Okyere and Petraco SA. The Herald newspaper reported only on a petition filed by the multinational company with CID, EOCO, GIPC, Attorney-General, etc. Ghana deserves better. Journalism is not a crime,” he wrote.

Contempt Case 

The contempt proceedings arise from a wider commercial dispute involving Springfield Exploration & Production and Switzerland-based oil trading company Petraco Oil Company SA.

The disagreement centres on claims made by Petraco regarding a multi-million-dollar business transaction involving Springfield.

While Petraco has made allegations relating to fraud and diversion of funds, Springfield and its founder, Kevin Okyere, have consistently rejected the accusations, maintaining that the matter is a commercial disagreement that remains subject to legal determination.

As investigations and litigation continued, Petraco reportedly petitioned several Ghanaian state institutions, including the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO), the Attorney-General and other regulatory bodies.

The Herald subsequently published reports referencing those petitions, a development that later became central to the contempt proceedings.

Injunction at the centre of legal battle

Court records indicate that Kevin Okyere successfully obtained an interlocutory injunction restraining Larry Dogbey and The Herald from publishing statements that could allegedly undermine his reputation pending the final determination of the substantive case.

According to legal submissions filed before the High Court, the injunction prohibited the publication of material capable of tarnishing Mr. Okyere’s reputation within society, the petroleum industry and the business community until the case is fully determined.

Mr. Okyere’s legal team argued that despite being aware of the court order, The Herald continued publishing stories and social media content relating to the dispute, thereby deliberately violating the authority of the court.

Among the publications referenced by the applicant were headlines discussing alleged fraud investigations, international court proceedings and claims involving Springfield Exploration.

Lawyers for Mr. Okyere argued that the continued publications amounted to a deliberate disregard for the court’s authority and undermined the administration of justice.

Defence

Mr. Dogbey, however, disputed the allegations during the proceedings.

According to court filings, the Herald editor argued that he had no knowledge of the injunction at the relevant time and questioned the admissibility and authenticity of some of the documents relied upon by the applicant.

The court nevertheless found sufficient grounds to establish contempt and imposed a seven-day custodial sentence.

Nana Prekoh Eric

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