The Kanashie Magistrate Court in Accra has granted a GH¢50,000 bail to Accra FM journalist Kwabena Bobie Ansah.

The host of the Citizen Show was arraigned before the court on Friday, February 11, 2022, after he was arrested and detained by the police on Thursday night.

Charged with the publication of false news and offensive conduct, Bobie Ansah pleaded not guilty in court and was thus granted a GH¢50,000 bail.

He is to reappear in court on Monday, March 14, 2022.

In a statement on Friday morning, the police said Bobie Ansah “on January 11, 2022, while hosting the Citizen Show on Accra FM, together with three others, allegedly made several statements against some individuals.”

According to the police, while its investigations into the said allegations made by Bobie Ansah and his guests established same to be false, several attempts to get the journalist and his guests to honour an invitation to assist in investigations failed, hence his arrest.

A video of the January 11, 2022 show hosted by Bobie Ansah as sighted by GhanaWeb indicates the said allegations by the journalist and his guests were made against the first lady of the Republic, Mrs Rebecca Akufo-Addo.

Bobie Ansah, during the show, accused the first lady of appropriating state lands to herself for the use of her private foundation.

“Do you know that Rebecca Akufo-Addo and Samira have appropriated for themselves the aviation lands?” he questioned in a short video of the programme obtained by GhanaWeb.

“As I speak to you today, there are Chinese nationals working on the aviation lands that were acquired by Kwame Nkrumah for the state for the expansion of the aviation sector for its growth. Rebecca Akufo-Addo has had the guts to apportion the state land to herself and is putting up a project in the name of her foundation – an NGO,” he added.

Having sex outside marriage is not the most serious sin – Pope

While raving about the allegations, Bobie Ansah, who is known to be an ardent critic of President Akufo-Addo, further accused the first lady of joining the president in what he described as thievery and corruption.

“I used to think it was Akufo-Addo and his family members alone who were doing evil to the nation, but the woman has also joined. Per documents I have received… the bad and evil she wants to do to the nation.. the thing is Rebecca is a thief,” his rant was interrupted by one of the guests on the show who was prompting him to exercise restraint in his comment.

While Bobie Ansah was being prompted by one of the guests, the remaining two of the three guests urged him on.

The show then continued with the host showing a video of the supposed project site of the alleged Rebecca Foundation construction.

Meanwhile, former President John Dramani Mahama has described the journalist’s arrest as a confirmation of a growing criminalization of speech and journalism under the current government of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.

According to Mr Mahama, he deems the situation under the current administration as appalling.

The former president made this known in an open letter addressed to his successor on Friday, February 11, 2022, following the journalist’s arrest.