GJA President, Affail Monney
The Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) has condemned the alleged police brutalities on a broadcast journalist with Takoradi-based Connect FM, Eric Nana Gyetuah, which occurred on Thursday, February 3, 2022.
Eric Nana Gyetuah was allegedly assaulted by some five police officers at a popular restaurant for taking pictures of some suspects in the company of police officers. Reports say the suspects are believed to have killed a returnee from abroad two years ago in the Western Region.
Eyewitnesses say both the officers and the suspects were hungry and therefore stopped by an eatery to grab some food.
The sight of the suspects eating with their handcuffs intrigued the journalist who took pictures of the incident.
Upon noticing that Nana Gyetuah had taken shots of the suspects, the officers confronted him and demanded that he deleted the photos. According to reports, the journalist refused to comply, thus leading to the angry cops allegedly beating him to a pulp.
The journalist suffered swollen eyelids, with blood oozing from his swollen mouth, and was subsequently handcuffed and sent to a Police station.
Condemn
In a statement signed by the President of GJA, Roland Affail Monney, the Association said “It is struggling to come to terms with reports of policemen who renounced the use of reason and abandoned their code of conduct to brutally assault Eric Nana Gyetuah, Producer of FM in Tarkoradi for filming them in a police place. As a result, the victim finds it difficult hearing with the right ear which also experiences occasional discharge”.
The GJA applauded the dispatch with which the IGP directed that police investigation be carried out into the case.
“We, however, expect nothing but speedy conclusion of the investigation into another brazen act of impunity. Thereafter, the perpetrators should be punished to the fullest extent possible within the law,” part of the statement read.
The Association has also demanded expeditious enquiry into the alleged armed attacks on Korle Adjator of Radio Ada.
“We expect that the law will take its course no matter how complex the issues might be. The magnitude and closeness of the two incidents send worrying signals, especially, to international media watchers who still regard Ghana as reference point of press freedom and democracy in Africa,” Mr Affail Monney noted.
He emphasised that the country dare not slide further, but rise higher on the league table of free media systems on the continent and the world as a whole.
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