Captain Smart
The radio cum television presenter, who openly called for insurrection live on air, has been granted bail by an Accra Circuit Court.
Blessed Godsbrain Smart, otherwise known as Captain Smart, pleaded not guilty to the charge of offensive conduct conducive to the breach of the peace under Section 207 of the Criminal Offences Act 1960 (Act 29) on Thursday.
He was subsequently granted GH¢100,000 with one surety to be justified and was ordered by the court presided over by Her Honour Ellen Ofei Aryeh, to report to the police every Tuesday and Friday.
The case was subsequently adjourned to January 11, 2022.
Inflammatory Remark
Captain Smart’s alleged inflammatory remarks, which he passed while on Onua TV owned by Media General, were duly recorded and was subsequently picked up for interrogation.
He has chanted that “where we have reached, we require an uprising with a positive defiance. I am even shocked at Ghana’s soldiers. You can enter Parliament when MPs are being sworn in but when MPs are fooling, you can’t enter Parliament. Everybody is quiet in this country.”
He was picked up shortly after making the inflammatory remarks and was duly interrogated, and was awaiting the appropriate charges at the time of filing the report.
NMC Reacts
In a swift reaction, the National Media Commission (NMC) took exception to the remarks of the presenter.
George Sarpong, Executive Secretary of the NMC, in the statement to Media General, had said that “Part of your broadcast raises concern for the peace and security of the country in a manner that demands immediate regulatory action.”
The NMC was particularly concerned about the portion of the remarks which called for insurrection in the country.
“We are particularly concerned about a recent broadcast in which ‘Captain Smart’ calls for insurrection against the state of Ghana and its institutions.”
This, the NMC described as “crossing the line of robust and critical broadcasting and transforms your radio station into a megaphone of war.”
The NMC then called on the owners of the station “to take steps to bring your content unto a level of professional acceptability. We are fortified in this belief by the fact that considerable parts of your other broadcast, including the news, offer that hope,” and demanded that the station exercise “the required professional caution in your interest.”
Unapologetic Owner
Instead of following the regulator’s advice, Media General, proprietors of TV3, Onua TV, Onua FM among others, unapologetically justified the insurrection remarks by their staff Captain Smart and even took exception to the arrest of the presenter, describing it as a growing trend against their journalists.
The justification of the network owners, was steeped in a statement they issued, and signed by the Group Corporate Affairs Head, Christopher Koney, following Captain Smart’s arrest.
Further Query
The NMC came back again, reprimanding the management of Onua FM/Onua TV over their refusal to address the regulatory concerns it raised following the insurrection call by Captain Smart and expressed disappointment over the company’s refusal to show leadership over the concerns of the regulator in an earlier correspondence over the issue.
The regulator said in a further statement that “in writing to management, we had hoped that they could provide leadership to bring the station’s content in line with acceptable standards.”
By Linda Tenyah-Ayettey