A 38-year-old social media user, Michael Owusu, has been charged with publication of false news with intent to disturb public peace, contrary to Section 208(1) of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29), and Section 123 of the Electronic Transactions Act, 2008 (Act 772).
Michael Owusu was arrested, detained, and arraigned before Accra Circuit Court 10 after he allegedly published a video on his TikTok account claiming that a sachet of Special Ice water contained a razor blade. In the video, he cautioned the general public to be vigilant when consuming products purchased from the market.
According to the accused, he bought a bag of Special Ice sachet water and discovered that one of the sachets contained a razor blade. He subsequently took to TikTok to narrate how he allegedly made the discovery, a situation he claimed left him shocked.
Section 208(1) of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29), states that a person who publishes or reproduces a statement, rumour, or report likely to cause fear and alarm to the public or disturb public peace, knowing or having reason to believe that the statement, rumour, or report is false, commits a misdemeanour.
At the commencement of the trial at Accra Circuit Court 10, counsel for the accused, Lawyer Raymond Quaye, cross-examined the first prosecution witness (PW1), who is the complainant in the case and also the Sales and Marketing Manager of Special Ice Mineral Water, Mr. Edem Kugbe.
The cross-examination, which lasted for nearly...
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