Govt condemns assault on Ghanaian times journalist

The government has expressed its disgust at the attack on three Ghanaian Times journalists by some police officers.

Addressing the press on Sunday, the Minister of Information, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah said he has had discussions with the Editor of the newspaper and intends to work with the Ministry of Interior to ensure that disciplinary actions are meted out against the officers.

“It is condemnable. I spoke to the editor of the Ghanaian Times within hours of picking information about the incident and we have asked then to formally write to us so that we quickly engage with the Interior Minister,” he added.

“The level of force that police officers are allowed to use is always expected to be reasonable and on probable cause grounds so it is important to have this matter very quickly investigated and the necessary disciplinary sanctions brought to bear,” the Minister added.

The Journalists were travelling in their official vehicle to their various assigned venues when they decided to film an accident involving a police officer riding an unregistered motorcycle who had hit their vehicle.

About ten police officers, who were unhappy about the filming and ensuing exchanges between the journalists’ driver and the police motor rider, and in an attempt to cease the recording device, reportedly pounced on the journalists and assaulted them.

One of the journalists, a lactating mother who had her baby through a caesarean section, was hit in the lower abdomen, collapsed, and was rushed to the Emergency Unit of the Ridge Hospital while the others were again manhandled by the police.