The Deputy Interior Minister, James Agalga has criticized media handling of the recent cocaine saga. 

He accused the media for what he describes as an “attempt by some to sling mud at government”.

Speaking on JOYFM and Multi TV’s current affairs programme “Newsfile”, Mr. Agalga chastised the media for failing to perform due diligence in their reportage on the cocaine saga involving a Ghanaian woman, Nayele Ametefeh, who this week pleaded guilty to a UK court.

He questioned the professionalism of journalists, whom, he says, relied on information from foreign presses, especially with regards to whether or not the suspect was in possession of a Ghanaian diplomatic passport.

The Minister was of the opinion that a huge section of the media failed to verify the information reaching them regarding the matter yet still went on to spew it into the public domain.

“You don’t just rely on information that you can’t verify. If you do that you are as guilty as the one who originated the information”, he asserted, adding “that is the problem I have” with the section of Ghanaian media who did so.

He cautioned the media against continuing in that manner, insisting that such practices demined the integrity of the Country.  

“It’s not anybody’s integrity we undermine. Not the NDC’s integrity, not the NPP’s integrity, but the integrity of the Republic of Ghana,” he insisted irrevocably.

Listen the the Deputy Minister Below: