Popular Ghanaian blogger, Jeffrey Epprim Nyame has been sentenced to a 30-day jail term for the publication of false news.
The blogger, now a convict, has been on trial since last year, charged with the publication of false news.
An Accra Circuit Court, presided over by Mr Isaac Addo, found him guilty of the offence and jailed him accordingly.
However, the court acquitted and discharged Jeremiah Kobina Egyabeng, an IT professional, who also faced a charge of abetment.
John Baptist Ayitse, a lawyer acting as a friend of the court, attempted to seek clemency for Nyame, pleading that the blogger is young and has learned vital lessons from his conduct and its attendant consequences.
The convict himself supported the plea for mercy by pledging not to repeat the offence.
The prosecution team, led by Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Seth Frimpong, told the court that Nyame published the false news on his news portal, reportghana.net, on 27th October 2022.
According to the prosecution, the article, captioned “Dollar account holders to get cedi at BoG rate for bank withdrawal effective 31st Oct?”, was circulated on various WhatsApp platforms, creating fear and panic among the public.
It argued that the false news caused bank customers to resort to panic withdrawals, creating a difficult situation for financial institutions.
Source: Pulse.com.gh