By Eunice Hilda Ampomah, GNA
Accra, Jan. 17, GNA - The Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) and the National Media Commission have called for a thorough and proper investigation into the shooting and killing of Ahmed Hussein Suale, a member of the Anas Aremeyaw Anas’ TigerEye PI Investigative Team.
The Association called on the Police Service to, as a matter of priority and urgency, launch a full-scale investigation into the killing of Ahmed and ensure the killers face the full rigours of the law.
It also called on the President, Nana Addo Dankwah Akufo-Addo, to take personal interest in seeing to the bottom of the matter until justice is served and Members of Parliament to take the necessary actions to instil a sense of safety in the media and among the populace.
The Late Ahmed Hussein Suale was allegedly shot three times, two at his chest and one in his neck, on Wednesday night in his BMW car at Madina while driving home.
According to information gathered by the Association, the unknown assailants did not take anything away after shooting him.
Mr Roland Affail Monney, the President of the GJA, at a news conference held in Accra on Thursday, said: “The unknown assailants did not take anything away from Ahmed except his life, delivering two bullets into his chest and one in his neck at close range”.
He said this was not the first-time journalists had been murdered in cold blood in recent memory, mentioning the murder of the former Chairman of the Ashanti Regional Branch of the GJA, Samuel Ennin, who was similarly shot and killed in February 2007.
Others were King George Abanga, the Peace FM Correspondent at Goaso on September 16, 2016 and Broadcast Journalist Portia Ama Agyeiwaa of a local radio station in Bekwai, who was stabbed to death in April 2018.
“These killings, in addition to rampant assault against journalists in recent times, send a worrying signal that the media are under serious attack in an era when civility and rule of law are expected to reign the thoughts and actions of our society,” he said.
Mr Affail Monney urged journalists not to be intimidated by the killings or any other circumstances that could hinder the discharge of their constitutional mandate of serving the interest of the public.
Mr Yaw Boadu-Ayeboafo, the Chairman of the National Media Commission, said the crime against the Investigative Journalist was a double jeopardy as his freedom was curtailed and his freedom of expression was undermined.
He called on journalists to join hands in making the world know that they would resist anything of that nature because human lives are precious.
Injustice anywhere is injustice everywhere, he said, and urged journalists to reflect objectively on every situation they encountered in the execution of their duties.
Mr Boadu-Ayeboafo asked the Police Service to invite and deal with anyone they suspect to be associated with the crime, including the Member of Parliament for Assin Central, Mr Kennedy Agyapong, who publicly urged the public to assault the late Ahmed whenever they came across him.
He said he believed no one could applaud what had happened whether from the political or social perspective, adding that “we all need to challenge the abominable action that has taken place”.
Mr Boadu-Ayeboafo asked the Police Service to enlighten the citizenry on the need and how to note the registration numbers as well as other features of vehicles and suspected criminals whenever they witnessed a crime or an accident.
“It is bad if we can’t describe what happened because how the Police are able to apprehend criminals is not magic, but because some members of the public collaborated to support the security apparatus”.
Mr Sammy Darko, a member of the Legal Team of the Tiger Eye PI Team, called on all journalists and the public to support in the fight against criminality in the country, saying; “Today it is a member of the Tiger Eye Team, tomorrow it could be you”.
The murder had rather strengthened the Team to undertake more serious investigations to promote national development, he said.
Ahmed was a Muslim and would be given a befitting burial as the Religion demands, he noted.
GNA
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