NGO condemns manhandling of journalist by Police

Sunyani, Aug. 11, GNA - The Brong-Ahafo Regional Secretariat of the Human Rights Reporters' Network (HRRN) has expressed disgust at recent attacks on journalists who were subjected to several forms of beatings in the course their constitutional duties in the region.

A statement issued by the network said the 93HRRN has followed these negative developments with keen interest where a resemblance of the outlawed Criminal Libel Law now decorated as the 93Law of Causing Panic and Fear" is beginning to rear its ugly head in the laws of the land. Many journalists have since fallen prey to this law, which tends to cripple press freedom in Ghana."

The statement signed by Mr. Fred Tettey-Alarti, Regional President of the Network was copied to the Inspector-General of Police, Ashanti Regional Minister, Ashanti Regional Police Commander and the Tepa District Police Commander.

It said recently there was another report of an attack on a journalist by the police.

"The police, by the laws of the land, are to keep the peace and protect the citizenry and we are yet to hear from the police what led to the assault on the journalist, Mr. Raphael Godlove Ahenu Jnr, an award-wining journalist and the Regional Secretary of the HRRN.

The statement alleged that Mr Raphael Godlove Ahenu, a journalist and the Regional Secretary of HRRN, was on July 25 manhandled by the police at Maabang in the Ahafo Ano North District in his attempt to defend a farmer who had been arrested by the police.

The statement said what the HRRN gathered was that during a visit to his village Mr. Ahenu was informed that the farmer, Mr Emmanuel Gbadasu, had been arrested by the police for allegedly refusing to sell his farm produce to some buyers.

The farmer was negotiating with a buyer at Bechem who had expressed interest in buying his cabbage at a certain price but this buyer could not make it to the farm and sent some other buyers to meet the farmer.

The new buyers came with a new price which the farmer refused and decided not to sell the items.

The buyers claimed they were from Accra and demanded that the farmer should give them GH¢90 for transportation to which the farmer refused leading to his arrest and detention at the police station at Maabang.

The statement said Mr Ahenu attempted to intervene for the farmer but he was manhandled.