Samuel Obeng Takyi addressing journalists
TWO JOURNALISTS of a local radio station in Jaman South District of the Bono Region have been dragged to court by the district assembly for urging natives of the area not to pay taxes to the assembly.
They are Hayford Agyemang and Isaac Yeboah of Kiss FM 97.5.
Samuel Obeng Takyi, Assembly Member of Akwamu Electoral Area, Dwenem, revealed this at a press conference recently to rebut some allegations levelled against the Municipal Chief Executive, Andrews Bediako, by some youth.
Addressing his colleagues and a section of the media in the region, he alleged that the two journalists had said that taxes collected by the assembly were used by the Municipal Chief Executive to buy drinks and booze for his residency.
According to him, the assembly did not take kindly to that and has, therefore, begun processes at the Drobo District Circuit Court to prosecute the two, stressing it is against the Local Government Act to incite citizens against assemblies more particularly, telling them not pay tax or evade it.
“Their action is against provisions of the Local Government Act 2016, section 159 and 222. The prosecutor of the assembly has activated these provisions in the Drobo District Court to sanction these behaviours. There is an intervention from some chiefs from the area to stop the process but I don’t know how far it has gone through. The issue is in court as we speak now,” he told this paper on phone to throw more light on the press conference.
The presser was held to debunk the false charges levelled against Andrews Bediako by their colleagues some fortnight ago.
The prosecution of the journalists was confirmed by the prosecutor of the assembly, Isaac Kwadwo Boakye, when the paper reached him on the phone.
According to him, the complainants in the case are the Municipal Coordinating Director of the assembly and the Municipal Finance Officer and not the Municipal Chief Executive as was being alleged.
He explained further that on May 30, 2022, the defendants, on their morning show, categorically stated that the MCE allegedly uses taxes collected for the assembly to buy hard drinks including Black Label, Heinekens and Jack Daniels to enjoy himself at his residency.
“They even went ahead to display invoices they laid hands on from the assembly and displayed it on their Facebook to authenticate the allegations, and went ahead and advised inhabitants of Jaman South not to pay their taxes because the Chief Executive will use it for booze.
“This is against Local Government Act 2016, Act 936 Section 159 which talks about people inciting citizens against the workings of the assembly. So we are using these provisions of this act to prosecute them after our investigation proved they misconducted themselves against the assembly,” he stressed.
Mr. Obeng Takyi alleged that the said journalists were collaborators with some 12 members of the assembly to tarnish the image of the MCE.
“It is very clear and evident to know which people in the assembly are playing divisive tactics to derail the development of the assembly,” he added.
FROM Daniel Y Dayee, Drobo