The President of the Private Newspapers and Online News Publishers Association of Ghana (PRINPAG), Mr. David Tamakloe, has clarified that the temporary freedom granted to The Herald Managing Editor, Larry Dogbey, is subject to a strict 10-day deadline, warning that the journalist could be returned to prison if his legal team fails to complete the required legal processes.
Speaking on Citi FM on Friday, June 26, 2026, Mr. Tamakloe explained that the court granted Mr. Dogbe a conditional 10-day bail following an ex- parte application filed by his lawyers to stay the execution of a custodial sentence imposed after his conviction for contempt of court.
According to him, the bail does not overturn the conviction but merely provides the journalist with a temporary reprieve to enable his legal team to file a substantive appeal.
“The bail is to take effect for just 10 days. If after the 10 days he does not return to the court with a proper notice, then he goes back into custody, because this was filed ex -parte.
He needs to file an appeal on notice,” Mr. Tamakloe explained.
He noted that the legal team must use the 10-day period to formally file the appeal, serve all relevant parties, and satisfy the court’s procedural requirements.
“That appeal will then be argued by both parties, after which a final decision will be taken on the contempt appeal,” he added.
Mr. Dogbey’s legal troubles began on Thursday, June 25, 2026, when an Accra High Court, presided over by Justice Isaac Addo, found him guilty of contempt of court and ordered his immediate imprisonment through a warrant of committal issued to the Director-General of the Ghana Prisons Service.
The contempt ruling arose from a series of publications by The Herald concerning a corporate legal dispute between Petraco SA and Springfield Exploration and Production Limited (SEP), owned by businessman Kevin Okyere.
The court held that Mr. Dogbey had breached an interlocutory injunction that prohibited The Herald from publishing further reports or commentary on a petition filed by Petraco SA against Mr. Okyere while the matter remained before the court.
During the proceedings, the defense argued that the Managing Editor could not be held liable because he had not been personally served with the court order restraining publication.
However, Justice Addo rejected that argument, ruling that the evidence established a clear violation of the court’s directive and that punitive action was necessary to uphold the authority and integrity of the judicial process.
The outcome of the substantive appeal, once filed, will determine whether Mr. Dogbey’s conviction and custodial sentence will be upheld or set aside.
