By Christiana Afua Nyarko
Accra, March 19, GNA – Mr Albert Kwabena Dwumfuor, the President of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA), has notified the Ghana Police Service to come out with “something concrete” on the investigations of Ahmed Hussein-Suale’s murder by the end of March, 2025.
Failure to meet the deadline would force the GJA to proceed to the ECOWAS Court of Justice to seek redress, Mr Dwumfuor said at a press conference in Accra on Tuesday.
The notice is a follow-up to the maiden press conference by the Association held on 22nd January, 2025 where it expressed concern over the delay in finding the killers of the Tiger Eye Private Investigations’ journalist.
The delay had eroded the trust and confidence the GJA had in the police, he said.
“In that regard, we serve a notice that if by the end of March 2025, the Ghana Police Service has not come out with something concrete on the investigation, arrest and prosecution of suspects in the murder case, we shall proceed to the ECOWAS Court of Justice to seek resolution for this matter,” Mr Dwumfuor said.
He cautioned to take similar actions on the case of Latif Iddrisu, a Journalist with the Multimedia Group of Companies who was physically assaulted in the line of duty by illegal miners.
He hinted about the interest of the GJA’s international media partners in the two cases, particularly that of Ahmed Hussein-Suale, and their preparedness to help it seek justice on other international legal platforms.
“In the case of Ahmed Suale, our international partners, including the Federation of African Journalists (FAJ) and the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), have also indicated their readiness to pursue justice for the investigative journalist at other international forums.”
The GJA President, however, hinted of a meeting last Monday, February 17, with Dr George Akuffo-Dampare, the Inspector General of Police, who assured him of dealing with the issue, hence the ultimatum given to the police to do the needful.
Moreover, updates on attacks suffered by journalists nationwide from the 2024 elections through to post-elections were elaborated.
Prominent amongst them was that of Ohemeng Tawiah, a journalist with the Multimedia Group, who was nearly killed in a mob attack during a police operation to clamp down illegal mining
activities, and that of Erastus Asare Donkor of the same media organisation, who was assaulted for his investigative work on illegal mining.
The perpetuators, the GJA noted, had not yet faced prosecution.
Other cases mentioned were some six journalists who also suffered physical assaults within a space of one week this February.
Four separate attacks occurred in Kumasi, the Ashanti Regional capital, during the election of the Council of State member.
Two others were recorded at Walewale in the North East Region, which involved journalists Alhassan Dokurugu of Asaase Radio and Tahiru Ibrahim of Zaa Multimedia, who were assaulted by the military whilst covering a bus-burning incident at the Nalerigu Junction.
“It is very sad to note that in the month of love when people are demonstrating love to their dear ones with red gifts, our colleagues who were in the line of duty, were made to see red blood as reward for serving mother Ghana,” Mr Dwumfuor said.
He, however, bemoaned some “undesirable media practices”, which needed urgent correction.
The GJA President cited examples like the christening of Angel FM’s Midday News as ‘Orgasm News,” which he described as a “defilement of journalistic decency” and called on the management to find a better name for it.
He urged all journalists to make safety a priority in the execution of their duties.
GNA