By Jibri Abdul Mumuni
Accra, Sept 22, GNA – The Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) has criticised the Ghana Police Service over the reported maltreatment and arrest of journalists coveringThursday’s demonstration in Accra.
In a press statement copied to the Ghana News Agency and signed by the General Secretary, Kofi Yeboah, the Association said the conduct of the Police was highly unprofessional and absolutely unwarranted.
The GJA said the actions of the Police Service were inherently repugnant to press freedom and the dignity of the affected journalists.
Thus, the Police were lowering the standard of professionalism by arresting journalists who did not breach any law but were discharging their duties of informing the public about happenings in the country.
It said investigations by the Association indicated that some local journalists and others from the international media outlets suffered various kinds of abuse, including the seizure of equipment and unlawful arrests.
“Our investigations indicated that some journalists, including correspondents of foreign media organisations, such as the BBC, AFP, and AP, were arrested in spite of the fact that they properly identified themselves.
“In other instances, some journalists were maltreated, and the police seized their working equipment, leaving them traumatised in the process,” the statement said.
It added:“In the case of a Metro TV reporter arrested at the Accra Regional Police Headquarters for taking video of happenings there, our investigations indicated that she was manhandled by some police officers after arrest.”
The GJA, consequently, accused the Police of professional breaches, adding that the officers arrested the journalists without informing them of their offences.
The GJA, however, indicated that the journalists were released at the behest of a senior officer at the Greater Accra Regional Police Headquarters.
Meanwhile, the Ghana Police Service has also said in a press statement that the assertion that a BBC journalist was arrested during the demonstration was erroneous.
It said illegal demonstrators were arrested and in the process of screening, two people were arrested but immediately released.
This, the GJA has rejected, saying that the Police’s narrative of what transpired at the demonstration was “erroneous’’.
It maintained that the investigation the GJA conducted into the arrest of the journalist from the BBC was factual.
It, therefore, demanded an unqualified apology from the Police and further demanded that the Service acknowledged their excesses through their actions against the journalist.
The GJA encouraged the media fraternity to remain resolute to their calling and never be intimidated by such attacks against their person in particular, or media freedom in general.
GNA