Police Beat Up Journalist

The Ashanti Regional Police Command has begun investigations into an alleged beating of a journalist working with Kumasi-based LUV FM an affiliate station of Multimedia by some police officers. Mr Erastus Asare Donkor, was brutally assaulted when he attempted taking photographs of irate scrap dealers and �Kayayeis� protesting against the killing of one Iddrisu Rashid by the police for alleged robbery at Asawase. The officers pounced on the journalist, punched, kicked and dragged him on the ground because he was unable to produce his press identification (ID) card. Mr Asare Donkor was left with a badly swollen face. He told the Ghana News Agency that he has made a formal report to the police and had been issued with a police medical form to attend hospital. ASP Mohammed Tanko, Ashanti Regional Police Public Relations Officer, confirmed the incident to the Ghana News Agency in Kumasi but was unable to give further details, except to say that investigations were being conducted into the case. The demonstrators were demanding immediate investigation into the killing of Rashid, a scrap dealer, who the police claimed was part of an armed robbery gang, which attacked the �Success City Academic� at Asem in Kumasi, on Tuesday afternoon.