Central Regional National Democratic Congress Chairman Richard Asiedu has withdrawn a defamation lawsuit against Obaatanpa Radio and issued an unqualified apology to the station and Ghana’s media community.
Mr Asiedu announced the decision during a meeting with the leadership of the Ghana Journalists Association at the Ghana International Press Centre in Accra.
The apology concerns an incident that led to the temporary closure of the Kasoa-based radio station and generated concerns about interference with media operations. Mr Asiedu also apologised to journalists across the country over the consequences of the episode.
His action followed a seven-day ultimatum issued by the GJA. The association demanded a public apology, withdrawal of the legal case, compensation for revenue the station said it lost during the shutdown and cooperation with the police investigation.
The withdrawal ends Mr Asiedu’s defamation action against the station. It does not by itself settle every issue raised by the journalists’ body, particularly the question of compensation and the outcome of the police inquiry.
GJA President Albert Dwumfour said the meeting followed discussions after the association’s news conference, where it set out its demands and restated its responsibility to defend constitutional protections for press freedom.
The dispute moved beyond the contents of a radio broadcast when the station’s operations were interrupted. The GJA treated the closure as a national media-freedom matter and sought both remedial action and accountability for the disruption.
Mr Asiedu’s apology and withdrawal address two of the association’s stated demands. The parties also discussed the financial effect of the closure on the station and the continuing police process.
The available account did not disclose an agreed compensation figure or payment date. Any settlement on lost revenue would therefore require further communication between the parties or a separate determination.
The police investigation is also distinct from the civil defamation suit. Withdrawal of a private claim does not automatically end inquiries into conduct surrounding the closure if law-enforcement authorities consider further action necessary.
Obaatanpa Radio operates from Kasoa in the Central Region. Its temporary closure affected broadcasts and other business activities before operations resumed.
The GJA’s intervention involved meetings, a public deadline and engagement with the regional party chairman. Its leadership presented those steps as part of the association’s mandate to respond when media houses or journalists face obstruction.
Mr Asiedu holds a regional position in the governing NDC. His apology was made in that public context, but the withdrawn case was between him and the radio station over alleged defamation.
No fresh court order was announced as part of the resolution. Withdrawal means Mr Asiedu will no longer pursue the filed claim, subject to the formal process required to discontinue it before the relevant court.
The station and the GJA accepted the apology as a development in the dispute, while the remaining questions concern compensation and the police investigation. No finding of criminal responsibility was announced at the meeting.
The parties did not announce a deadline for concluding those remaining discussions.
The engagement also brought the parties into direct discussion after a period of public disagreement. The GJA said its earlier demands were intended to protect the ability of journalists and media organisations to work without unlawful interruption.
The latest status is that Mr Asiedu has apologised and withdrawn his defamation action. Discussions over the station’s losses and cooperation with investigators remain separate parts of the matter.
