You are here: HomeNews2019 07 06Article 761123

General News of Saturday, 6 July 2019

Source: www.ghanaweb.com

Audio reveals confession of torture by ModernGhana journalist

Emmanuel Britwum, ModernGhana journalist Emmanuel Britwum, ModernGhana journalist

An audio available to GhanaWeb reveals how ModernGhana journalist, Emmanuel Britwum who denied ever suffering any form of torture or seeing his editor Emmanuel Ajafor Abugri tortured, admitting to being tortured by National Security operatives during his brief incarceration in custody.

Emmanuel Britwum in a statement issued through his lawyer Debora Asabere-Ameyaw on Wednesday, July 3 said he was “neither tortured nor brutalised” in any way as alleged.

Emmanuel Britwum’s torture denial story is in sharp contrast to that of his colleague, Emmanuel Ajarfor Abugri, putting the credibility of the torture story on the line after Ajafor claimed he was turned upside down and subjected to a terrible physical ordeal, including electrical shocks by state security operatives during his one-hour interrogation.

In view of that, legal practitioner Samson Lardy Anyenini who was counsel for the two expressed surprise at Britwum’s latest position stating how the journalist until six hours ago, maintained he was assaulted and tortured.

But Emmanuel Britwum in an interview on Monday, July 1 on Accra based radio station Kingdom FM after his release from BNI confessed being tortured by the officials.

The journalist admitted that after the interviewer asked the question of him being tortured during his arrest, of which he affirmed.

However, the Accra High Court has dismissed the case against the two Modern Ghana journalists, Emmanuel Ajarfor and Emmanuel Britwum who had been slapped with three charges of conspiracy to steal, stealing and unauthorized access to electronic information.

This was after the prosecutor, Stella Ohene Appiah indicated to the court that she wanted to withdraw the case to conduct further investigations based on some new information received.

The case, which was called on Friday, was presided over by Justice Afia Serwaa Asare Botwe.

Editor for Peace FM, Yaw Obeng-Manu who was also put before the court and charged with unauthorized access to a password, was also discharged.

Meanwhile, one of the lawyers for Emmanuel Ajarfor, Sampson Lardi Ayenini described the proceedings in court as the first embarrassment for the prosecution, saying that the prosecution was trying to force non-existent charges on his client.

Listen to the audio below