Herald editor Larry Dogbe granted bail after contempt conviction
Larry Alans Dogbey, Editor of The Herald newspaper, has been granted bail after being sentenced to seven days’ imprisonment for contempt of court over publications linked to a legal dispute involving businessman Kevin Okyere and Swiss commodities firm Petraco SA.
An Accra High Court convicted Dogbey on Thursday (25 June). Justice Isaac Addo ruled that he had “willfully, contumaciously and in flagrant disregard” defied an order barring further reports on the matter.
The contempt case stemmed from articles published by The Herald on a petition filed by Petraco SA against Okyere, Founder and Chief Executive of Springfield Exploration and Production Limited [SEP].
The court said Dogbey breached an interlocutory injunction issued on 11 June, which restrained him from publishing additional reports on the case pending its determination.
Editor’s defence rejected
During cross-examination, Dogbey said he had not been served with notice of the injunction and was unaware of the order to stop publication.
Justice Addo rejected the defence, stating: “Despite this clear and unambiguous judicial directive, the Respondent willfully, contumaciously, and in flagrant disregard of the authority of this Court proceeded to breach the said Order of 11 June 2025.”
The judge noted the court’s power to punish contempt derives from Article 126(2) of the 1992 Constitution and Order 50 of the High Court (Civil Procedure) Rules, 2004.
He ordered a Warrant of Committal to be issued to the Director-General of the Ghana Prisons Service to enforce the sentence.
Dogbey has since been granted bail pending further legal proceedings.
