We're investigating assault on Ghanaian Times reporters – Police

General News of Saturday, March 16, 2019

Source: citinewsroom.com

2019-03-16

The Police Administration says it has begun in the badault of the Ghanaian Times by some police officers in Accra.

It said the police service is looking into the motor traffic accident allegedly committed by the police officer as well.

ACP David Eklu, the Director of Public Affairs of the Ghana Police Service in an interview on Eyewitness News said that the subject has come to the attention of the police and they have been working on it.

He told his story about the incident around 9:00 am on Thursday.

ACP David Eklu told host of Eyewitness News, Umaru Sanda Amadu that the suspect at the center of the incident has been identified and taken care of by police and non-officers who were at the scene at the time of the incident.

"We have been working on it when we came up … There are two aspects of the case. It was a traffic incident that has been reported to the MTTD at the Ministries Police station so that it is also being handled. "

"The Police officer has been identified and has given his statement. The other police officers who witnessed this thing have also given their statement. There were other non-police officers who also gave their statements. Because of the pain that the two journalists suffer from, we have given them time to go and look after them so they can give their statements then we can continue with the investigations. "

The following is an opinion of a member of the investigating board of the ACP, where the decision has been made that the officer has not yet been arrested. will be taken next week.

"The best step is to take care of everyone and they are all known, and their places are known, it is prudent that the first step is to take their statements and if they [the journalists] medical attention, that will be done … A decision has not been taken on that aspect [interdiction of the officer] yet … I believe we should be able to respect this investigation, "he said.

'Assault on us was despicable'

Malik Suleman, one of the Ghanaian Times reporters badaulted by the police officers says he is considering pursuing the officer at the center of the case in court.

"What happened yesterday was despicable and unthinkable," he said on the Citi Breakfast Show.

Malik said the effects of brutality were not limited to just his body.

"I am psychologically and emotionally traumatized. They have been insulting me if they have committed an egregious offense … even if they have been killed, they have been unlawful. They had no right under the law to do the kind of things they did to me yesterday. "

'Assault on becoming common in Ghana'

Assault on journalism in Ghana is becoming a common phenomenon with police officers being among the perpetrators.

In the last two years, there have been more than 15 of such reported cases. The Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) has also said it has recorded some of these incidents over the past four years.

"Despite the many reported incidents of violations against journalists, punishment of perpetrators has been very rare, if any at all. This culture of impunity for crimes against journalists and other forms of abuse. Many reported crimes have been investigated by the police to the effect that investigations have begun, "the MFWA said in one of its reports.

Meanwhile, the Ghana Journalist Association (GJA) has condemned the badault and called on the police to punish him accordingly.