A police officer has been interdicted and referred for criminal investigation after being captured on video assaulting journalist Agyekum Banahene of GHOne TV at the Ablekuma North parliamentary rerun.
The officer allegedly slapped Banahene while he was reporting at North Odorkor Polling Station 2, and claims surfaced that police demanded he vacate the premises despite other journalists being allowed to work.
Following an incident involving the assault of a journalist, the Ghana Police Service took swift action by removing the implicated officer from election duties and referring the case to the Police Professional Standards Bureau (PPSB) for disciplinary review.
A full internal and criminal investigation is currently underway.
The Ghana Journalists Association (GJA), led by President Albert Dwumfuor, strongly condemned the assault, calling it a serious violation of press freedom and human rights.
The GJA demanded the case be treated as a second-degree felony and urged that the officer be prosecuted with no leniency to set a firm precedent.
The assaulted journalist, Banahene, has since filed a formal police report and received medical care, describing the attack as sudden and unjustified.
The Minister of Interior, Muntaka Mubarak, has pledged that his office will thoroughly review the matter and act upon receiving a full report.
Attention now turns to whether criminal charges will be filed, what disciplinary measures will follow the PPSB’s findings, and whether new protocols will be introduced to improve journalist safety, especially during election coverage.
The GJA is also expected to continue advocating for stronger protections for journalists in high-risk assignments.
Source: Myxyzonline.com
