Abuja — The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on Ghanaian authorities to investigate and hold accountable military officers and suspected illegal miners accused of attacking a total of five journalists in separate incidents.
"It is concerning that military officers accused of attacking journalists have not been held to account," said Angela Quintal, CPJ's Africa regional director, from New York. "Authorities must act to reverse impunity when security forces attack the press, and deliver compensation allocated to those attacked."
The five journalists, all of whom work for privately owned broadcasters, include:
- Jacob Adu-Baah, a reporter with the local ABC News;
- Akwasi Agyei Annim, correspondent for Channel One TV and Citi FM;
- Henry Fynn Emil a reporter with Angel TV;
- Tahiru Apiliye Ibrahim, a reporter with Zaa Multimedia;
- and Dokurugu Alhassan, a reporter with Accra.
Ibrahim and Alhassan told CPJ that six military officers beat them on February 12 after they filmed a bus on fire in the northeastern Mamprusi community. The journalists reported the incident to the local police station, but officers said they were unable to intervene with the military.
Ghana Armed Forces spokesperson Eric Aggrey-Quashie told CPJ by phone that he was aware of the February 12 attack but could not speak about it.
Separately, on February 21, a group of suspected illegal miners attacked Annim, Adu-Baah, Emil and police escorts in western Adomanya forest, Annim and Adu-Baah told CPJ. The attackers twisted Annim's arm and damaged his phone and camera's receiver. Adu-Baah and Emil escaped unharmed.
On March 5, a judge ordered that 37,000 Ghana cedis (USD$ 2,385) of compensation for those attacked be transferred from police to the journalists, but Annim and Adu-Baah said they had not received the money. Another court hearing was scheduled for March 26.
