The embattled President of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA), Mr. Affail Monney has buckled under pressure and apologised for his controversial comments.

He has apologized for comments colleague journalists said were a betrayal of the cause of journalists and the association.

Mr. Monney chose the accounts of the Flagstaff House in an accident involving the presidential Press Corps which killed Ghanaian Times report, Samuel Nuamah.

In an interview with Joy News’ Manasseh Azure Awuni, the GJA President said he was inclined to believe the narration of Chief of Staff Julius Debrah of the events.

Mr. Debrah, he reported, had told him there was no wrongdoing in the hiring of the vehicle that crashed and killed the journalist.

This account contradicted that of journalists on the bus - some of whom were injured - including GTV’s Napoleon Ato Kittoe.

Mr. Monney said he had difficulty believing the reporter’s account because a Flagstaff House source had told him that Mr. Ato Kittoe was sleeping when the accident occurred and, therefore, could not have given an accurate account of the incident.

But the comments attracted opprobrium from editors and other journalists with regional executive of the GJA calling on Mr Monney to apologise.

The GJA Executive had a meeting Monday where Mr. Affail Monney apologised.

General Secretary of the GJA, Mr. Dave Agbenu, told Joy News, "The president rendered an apology and I am pleading all members to accept the apology and refrain from comments that will undermine our collective interest."

Why is Mr. Monney himself not publicly making the apology? Evans Mensah asked.

Mr. Agbenu said, "we can demand that when have all settled down."

The GJA General Secretary, who is also the Editor of the Ghanaian Times newspaper whose reported died in the accident, said attention should be on giving Samuel Nuamah a befitting burial.