Management of the New Times Corporation has vowed to seek justice for three of its employees who were brutally assaulted by about 10 policemen in Accra on Thursday.
The three, Salifu Abdul Rahman, a
Senior Assistant Editor, Malik Sulemana and Raissa Sambou both reporters were
physically brutalised by the officers− their crime, for engaging one Sergeant Ebenezer Asiedu for
jumping red light and subsequently running his unregistered motorbike into their
official assignment vehicle leading to the breaking of its bumper, mirror and windscreen.
The assault had generated huge public
outrage calling into question, the professionalism of some personnel of the
Ghana Police Service as people tasked with maintaining law and order in the
country.
Addressing a management meeting on
the incident, the acting Managing Director of the Corporation, Mr Martin Adu-Owusu,
said, the assault case must not be seen as the NTC versus the GPS but rather
individuals of the corporation and some errant police officers.
He expressed regret at the slow pace
at which the case is being handled and wondered why the policeman has not been
charged for traffic offence at the very least.
He said the corporation acknowledged
the fact that the service was made up of some very fine professionals who went
about their daily activities with a high level of civility; however, there were
a few bad ones whose actions continue to drag the name of the service into
disrepute.
Mr Adu-Owusu noted that even though a
lot of organisations and the general public had shown high level of solidarity
with the assaulted journalists, it was the responsibility of the NTC to ensure
that the perpetrators were brought to book so that it could serve as a warning
to other unprofessional officers in the service.
“If journalists who have the
responsibility to inform, educate and entertain the public can be subjected to
such brutalities, then you can imagine what ordinary citizens are going through
in the hands of such brutish police officers,” he emphasized.
He said the corporation was poised to
ensure that the matter was brought to its logical conclusion and when that was
done, it would be a victory not only for the assaulted journalists but also the
ordinary citizen whose taxes were used in paying these officers.
On his part, the Editor of the
Ghanaian Times, Mr Dave Agbenu said some steps had already been taken to ensure
that the police officers were brought to book.
He said it was unfortunate that the
police would act in such a manner and it would leave no stone unturned in
ensuring that justice was secured, adding that “It is some of these
unprofessional attitudes that is causing the service to lose public trust.”
Mr Agbenu said a report would be made
to the Ministry of Information to formally complain about the incident.
The Editor said the corporation was
in the process of submitting copies of the report as requested to the Minister
and also to the National Media Commission (NMC) as part of measures being
employed to bring about justice for the three journalists.
The lawyer for the corporation, Mr
Dometi Kofi Sokpor who was present at the meeting enumerated different steps
the corporation could take to ensure that the culprits were brought to book.
He also advised on measures that must
be employed by the corporation as body corporate and as individual journalists
assaulted to secure justice.
By Cliff Ekuful
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