NHIA Produces Faceless Photo Of A Man Who Allegedly Attacked Adom FM Editor

The National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) says it will publish the outcome of its internal investigations into the alleged attack on an Adom FM journalist by a staff of the authority. The authority is investigating how some of its staff at its Abelkuma Central office allegedly assaulted Adom FM editor Afia Pokuaa. But even before the probe is completed Chief Executive Officer of the authority Sylvester Mensah said on JoyFM�s news analysis programme, Newsfile that no staff of the authority assaulted the journalist. Adom FM�s Afia Pokua and two other journalists were on Thursday 11 September 2014 brutalised by a man suspected to be a staff of the National Insurance Scheme at Ablekuma, a suburb of Accra. Nana Sefa, a reporter with the station had gone to the NHIA office to report on frustrations and complaints of persons who had been queuing since 3am to go through biometric registration, but had his mobile phone impounded by Israel Kwame Laryeah, the scheme manager of the NHIS there. Mr Laryeah detained the reporter insisting he would only be released if his Editor came to the NHIA office. The reporter was released after Afia Pokua intervened but on their way out of the scheme manager�s office, the journalists were met with an angry crowd who accused the reporter of hiding in the Manager�s office and leaving them to their fate. Attempts by the News Editor to explain things infuriated the manager who ordered her to stop talking to the people setting the tone for a fight that resulted in bruises on Afia. Mr Mensah displayed a picture of a faceless man whom he was unable to identify but insisted was the one who assaulted the editor. He said �we want to assure the general public that we are going to act swiftly on any development, particularly relating to assault on the media for which our officers could be associated�. �At the end of our investigations if it becomes quite clear to us that our officers are culpable in some of the information we find out there in the media we will be very swift in dealing with them�. He advised the police to do a very diligent work and not be swayed by calls from certain individuals and journalists across the country demanding action, �we need to go through the due process and people must be heard�.