Gov’t intimidating Journalists with security agencies - NPP

The New Patriotic Party has condemned government for allegedly using the security agencies to intimidate journalists.

This follows the detention of the CEO of Citi FM over his station’s publication of the arrest of a Ghanaian lady in London for trafficking drugs.

Samuel Atta-Mensah spent several hours in the custody of the BNI over the publication, which also suggested that the lady suspect, Nayele Ametefeh travelled to London from Ghana with a diplomatic passport and had links with the first family and the governing party.

Government has, however, denied that the woman travelled with a diplomatic passport and had links to the first family.

But Communications Director of the NPP, Nana Akomea in an interview with Starr News stated that government is abusing its powers.

“If Citi FM has carried a report that government thought contained inaccuracies, one would have thought that government would put out what government would claim to be the accurate story and if Citi FM has no concrete evidence, they would do the honourable thing and withdraw the story, but to arrest the Managing Director of Citi FM and detain him for hours without access to legal counsel is an attack on the media meant to intimidate the media and should be condemned by everybody.

“That culture where the powers of the state are used to arrest arbitrarily should be discouraged. It is not healthy for our democracy and our press freedom. What happened did not necessitate the detention of the managing director of Citi FM,” Akomea said.

Meanwhile, government has said it has begun reviewing security protocols at the Kotoka International Airport following the latest drug scandal.

A member of government’s communication team, Sam George told Starr News that the government is committed to the fight against drug trafficking.

“At the moment we are reviewing the protocols to see who was on duty on the day and the circumstances that led to her being able to carry a hand luggage onto the plane."

A delegation from the Ghana High Commission in London would also visit the Ghanaian suspect Nayele Ametefeh today.