Journalist arrested for investigating Canadian mining firm

ACCRA, July 17-- The Criminals Investigations Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Monday arrested and detained a Ghanaian journalist at the instance of a Canadian-Ghanaian mining firm while performing his legitimate duties here.

Pascal Kudiabor, who works with the www.ghanabusinessnews.com, an online business journal, told this reporter he was picked up from the Accra premises of Emmaland Cardero Mining Company Limited, a foreign mining firm operating the Sheini Iron Ore Mines in the Zabzugu-Tatale District of the Northern Region, near Tamale, some 658 km north of the capital, while there for an interview.

The police however took Kudiabor to their office at the police headquarters where they interrogated him.

According to the Managing Editor of www.ghanabusinessnews, Emmanuel Dogbevi, who was later asked to report at the CID headquarters, Monday’s visit was the second the reporter had made to the office of the mining firm to investigate a story concerning the Sheini Hills project.

“I was therefore surprised to receive a call from my reporter that the CID had arrested him on the premises of the company and were taking him to their headquarters,” Dogbevi told this reporter.

According to Dogbevi, the reporter had been investigating a story about iron ore in Ghana and the name of the company happened to feature in it.

He therefore sent a questionnaire to the company seeking permission to visit their mining site in Zabzugu District.

“Upon my return, I requested to have an interview with the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the company, one Emmanuel Kwesi Ababio,” the reporter continued.

Upon reaching the office, Kudiabor said the CEO asked him to wait in his office in the company of the Public Relations Officer and another official.

“About 30 minutes later, Ababio reappeared with two people who introduced themselves as detectives who had been sent by their boss, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Inkoom, to invite me to the CID Headquarters.”

According to him, the police said Ababio reported that he had been suspicious of the journalist’s activities, claiming he had been prying into their affairs.

Kudiabor, who also reports for the www.fighana.com, said although he produced his press card issued by the Financial Intelligence, operators of thewww.fighana.com, the police insisted on taking a statement from him.

When reached for his comments, the Public Affairs Director of the Ghana Police Service, Deputy Superintendent of Police Cephas Arthur, expressed shock and disgust at the behavior of the CID but said he would investigate and get back to the media.

International and Public Relations Officer of Emmaland-Cardero, Paries Augusta Nyeswah declined to comment on the issue when contacted by this reporter.

The General Secretary of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) Bright Blewoo expressed serious concern about the way the Ghana police had been going about inviting journalists who were doing their legitimate work.

He cited the example of two editors, Malik Kwaku Barko of the New Crusading Guide and Ebo Quansah of the Ghanaian Chronicle who were invited by the police CID last month to state the sources of stories they had published.

“The constitution does not allow anybody to compel a journalist to disclose the source of a published news item,” Blewoo reiterated. Enditem.