The Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice, (CHRAJ) has called for the prosecution of the Ten, (10) police officers who allegedly assaulted three Ghanaian Times reporters in Accra on Thursday, March 14, 2019.
CHRAJ asked that the three victims be compensated for the injuries and losses they suffered.
The affected journalists- Salifu Abdul Rahman, Malik Sulemana, and Raissa Sambou Ebu- were said to be travelling in official vehicle to their various assignments when they decided to film an accident involving a police officer riding an unregistered motorcycle and the vehicle transporting the journalists at Kinbu in Accra.
The police officers were not happy that the journalists were recording the accident and verbal exchanges between their driver and the police motor rider, and allegedly pounced on the journalists and physically assaulted them.
Mrs. Sambou, a lactating mother was rushed to the emergency unit of the Accra Regional Hospital, whilst, Sullemana, who was also injured from the assault was locked up at the Ministries Police Station, but was later released.
In a statement signed by its Commissioner, Joseph Whittal, CHRAJ called for the prosecution of what it described as “these errant police officers in a court of competent jurisdiction and not put them through administrative service disciplinary enquiry to serve as deterrent to others and reassure Ghanaians that police officers are not above the law.”
It said the “the Commission wishes to remind the IGP and the Police Service over which he superintends that the timing of this assault by his men on innocent citizens comes on the heels of the clear unprofessional conduct exhibited by police officers in their testimonies before the Emile Short Commission Hearings into the Ayawaso West Wuogon shooting incidents televised live and viewed by all Ghanaians nationwide is most disappointing and not reassuring of professionalism of the service and any lessons learnt.”
The Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) had earlier condemned the incident and described the police action as barbaric in an era of rule of law when the police are supposed to be law enforcers rather than law breakers.
