Ashanti GJA Condemns Police Assault Of Journalist

The Ashanti Regional branch of the Ghana Journalists Association has condemned, in no uncertain terms, recent �Police brutalities visited on our colleague journalist, Erastus Asare Donkor of Luv FM�. The journalist, according to the GJA, was covering protests by residents of Akwatia Line in the regional capital, Kumasi, against the Police for shooting and killing a 35-year-old disabled scrap dealer, Rashid Mohammed. The group, in a statement on Friday, accused six Police officers from the Zongo Station of �manhandling� and �assaulting�, the deceased by �dragging� him on the ground in a humiliating manner. �The GJA has gathered that even though the Journalist identified himself as such, the Police took the laws into their own hands by mercilessly assaulting him�, the statement noted. It said: �We do not want to believe that it is becoming a norm for the security agencies to attack journalists on duty as the unfortunate incident comes barely three months after some military personnel assaulted some journalists in Accra, which matter had been resolved�. The group bemoaned the silence of the Police on the matter so far. �The GJA has waited for almost a week to hear a word from the police but that had not been the case�, the statement signed by Chairman Listowell Yesu Bukarson bewailed. It added: �This, to the GJA, means that the police deliberately assaulted the colleague and might have some agenda against journalists in the region�. It noted that: �Even, if the victim was not a Journalist, we do not think it was prudent for the police to have assaulted him�. The GJA said it �would like to state categorically that, even though it is ready to work with all security agencies in perpetuating national progress and development as the fourth estate of the realm, it will not allow itself to be disregarded, disgraced and assaulted without reason�. The group said: �The policemen who committed the shameful act should be identified and sanctioned to serve as a deterrent to other like-minded personnel of the security agencies�. It has demanded an unqualified apology from the Ashanti Regional Police Command so as �to deepen the collaboration between the GJA and the Police as we partner each other to advance the course of the development of the region and the country as a whole�. The group threatened to �advise itself� if the Police Command fails to show �commitment� in that regard.