Journalist and Editor of The Herald newspaper, Larry Alans Dogbey, has been granted bail after an Accra High Court sentenced him to seven days’ imprisonment for contempt of court over publications relating to an ongoing legal dispute involving businessman Kevin Okyere and Swiss commodities trading firm Petraco SA.
The ruling was delivered on Thursday, June 25, by Justice Isaac Addo, who held that Mr. Dogbey had deliberately breached an interlocutory injunction issued by the court on June 11, 2025. The injunction restrained him from publishing any further reports on the case pending the determination of the substantive matter before the court.
The contempt proceedings stemmed from a series of articles published by The Herald concerning a petition filed by Petraco SA against Kevin Okyere, the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Springfield Exploration and Production Limited (SEP). According to the court, despite the existence of the injunction, the newspaper continued to publish stories related to the dispute, prompting the contempt application.
During the hearing, Mr. Dogbey argued under cross-examination that he had not been personally served with the injunction and was therefore unaware of the court’s directive to halt further publications. He maintained that he could not be held liable for violating an order he had not received.
However, Justice Addo rejected that defence, ruling that the editor’s conduct amounted to a deliberate disregard for the authority of the court. In his judgment, the judge stated that Mr. Dogbey had acted in “willful, contumacious and flagrant disregard” of a clear and unambiguous judicial order.
The court further noted that its authority to punish contempt is derived from Article 126(2) of the 1992 Constitution and Order 50 of the High Court (Civil Procedure) Rules, 2004, which empower the court to sanction conduct that undermines the administration of justice and the authority of the judiciary.
Following the conviction, Justice Addo directed that a Warrant of Committal be issued to the Director-General of the Ghana Prisons Service, or officers acting on his behalf, to enforce the seven-day custodial sentence.
Despite the conviction, Mr. Dogbey has since been granted bail pending further legal proceedings. The case continues to attract public attention because of its implications for media practice, court reporting and compliance with judicial orders during the pendency of legal proceedings.
Story by Freedom Etsey Lavoe:
