The Military High Command has rendered an unqualified apology to the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) and the two journalists who were assaulted by some military personnel during the Independence anniversary celebrations in March this year.
It also declared as null and void the earlier report presented by the military after it had carried out investigations into the incident.
Speaking at a meeting with executives of the GJA, the Private Newspaper Publishers Association of Ghana (PRINPRAG) and the Editors Forum of Ghana in Accra yesterday, the Chief of the Defence Staff (CDS), Real Admiral Mathew Quashie, said the report on the investigations was not meant for public consumption.
He explained that the report had been given to the GJA and the Ghanaian Times for them to study and probably offer suggestions as to how best to resolve the issue, but it ended up in the press, which was very unfortunate.
He said the Military High Command had looked at the issue dispassionately and realised that certain basic issues were ignored, noting that things should have been put in their proper perspective.
�There is a saying that �the pen is mightier than the sword�, but when the pen was put together with the sword, the two were mightier and, therefore, it is important for both the military and the media to work together for a common goal,� the CDS said.
He said both the military and the media had a role to play on that fateful day, adding that sometimes in their urge to discharge their duties, the military could go overboard.
�As human beings, we all make mistakes,� he said.
The CDS indicated that soldiers had been cautioned to be circumspect in the discharge of their responsibilities, especially in their dealings with civilians.
Real Admiral Quashie assured the GJA that the military officers involved had already been admonished and would be sanctioned according to laid down procedures of the Ghana Armed Forces, while the victims of the attack would be adequately compensated.
For his part, The President of the GJA, Mr Affail Monney, said following the incident, the whole media fraternity was outraged at the way the military handled the issue by presenting a one-sided report.
He, however, told the Military High Command that its apology had been well taken and that whatever happened had been consigned to the dustbin of history.
The victims of the March 6 attack, Mr Vincent Dzatse of the Ghanaian Times and Nii Martey Botsway, who were present at the meeting, accepted the apology in good faith.
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