The 16 New Patriotic Party (NPP) members who invaded UTV’s premises and obstructed its primetime show have been convicted and fined by an Achimota Magistrate Court.
The accused persons were sentenced to a fine of 200 penalty units each which amounts to GHS 2,400.00 in default 3 months imprisonment.
They were also ordered by the court to sign a bond to be of good behaviour in default 6 months imprisonment.
The 16-party faithful were accused of criminal conspiracy and rioting. They pleaded guilty to the charges.
During the October 7, 2023 edition of United Showbiz on UTV, scores of alleged NPP supporters forced their way to the studio to demand an apology from one of the panelists, Kwame Asare Obeng popularly known as A-Plus.
They claimed he had insulted the party, the president, and the vice president.
Subsequently, they were arrested and arraigned.
Speaking on Good Afternoon Ghana, the National Youth Organizer of the NPP Salam Mustapha admitted that the people who carried out the invasion are known NPP members.
“Indeed! Rightly, mentioned Saturday, there was an incident at the premises of UTV where some known youths of the party went and there was an interruption with an on-air program,” Salam Mustapha said.
Salam Mustapha told Annie Afua Ampofo on the show on Monday, October 9, 2023, that “I will not deny that they are party youth. I know them I’m not going to be a hypocrite and say that I do not know them.”
“Ordinarily, they are bona fide membership (sic) of the party. Some are constituency youth organizers and one deputy youth organizer who was the lead to the studio,” he added.
According to him, the decision to invade the studios was informed by intelligence that one of the panelists on the entertainment show would make disparaging remarks about the NPP, hence they moved in to defend the party.
“It ensued in a ‘boys boys’ group discussion that they were having. The previous week, the person had sat on TV and sought to disparage the party which was actually the centre of discussion, and incensed the young people who were having the meeting and that’s why they got up and went there,” he explained.
Salam Mustapha further stated categorically that he can vouch for the NPP men who were in the UTV studios that they are not violent.
