The Western Regional Branch of the Ghana Journalists Association (Western-GJA) is calling for the immediate arrest of the bodyguard of the Member of Parliament (MP) for Evalue-Jomoro Gwira Constituency and Minister State at the Presidency for assaulting a Metro TV Cameraman and deletion of video footage from his camera.
A statement signed by its Regional Chairman, Moses Dotsey Aklobortu, and released in Takoradi yesterday, said the association is shocked that after recent adaptations of a framework on Police Media Relations and Safety of Journalists in the country, the Axim police supervised the seizure and deletion of the reporter’s professional work.
The following is the full statement.
The Western Regional Branch of the Ghana Journalists Association (Western-GJA) is calling for the immediate arrest of bodyguard of the Member of Parliament for Evalue-Jomoro Gwira Constituency and Minister State at the Presidency for assaulting [a] Metro TV Cameraman and deletion of video footage from his camera.
The Cameraman, Alhaji Mustapha Ashley, was among other journalists covering a court case involving the Republic versus one Angate Borzar, who was arrested on the orders of the same Member of Parliament and Minister State, Mrs Catherine Abelema Afeku.
After the unfortunate incident, the regional GJA received an official complaint from the Metro TV Cameraman, indicating that his camera was seized and the video deleted under the supervision of the police without his permission.
Our preliminary investigations by the Regional GJA revealed that before the commencement of the court proceedings, the Metro TV Cameraman, Alhaji Mustapha Ashley, was taking video footage outside the court premises to support his story, since recordings or picture/video inside the courtroom is not allowed.
This was after he had sought permission from the Court Clerk.
Without any provocation, the said bodyguard, identified as (Appiah) who arrived in the company of the MP and Minister of State, and the Municipal Chief Executive, Frank Okpenyan, upon seeing him (the cameraman) with his camera, the bodyguard rushed, interrupted him, and ordered him to hand over the Metro TV branded video camera to him.
The refusal of Alhaji Mustapha Ashley to hand over his official camera to the bodyguard resulted in a fierce confrontation and heckling, which attracted the intervention of a policeman. Another senior officer who also arrived asked the cameraman to hand over the camera to the junior police officer, which he did.
However, surprisingly, the Member of Parliament and the MCE looked on unconcerned and walked to take their positions in the courtroom.
It was interesting to note that the camera was handed back to the Metro TV Cameraman after the court proceedings, all visuals on the camera were deleted under the supervision of officers of the Ghana Police Service, and offered no explanation as to why they tampered with the Metro TV Camera.
The Regional GJA, therefore, condemned the attack of Alhaji Mustapha Ashley, while on duty, which is [an] affront to press freedom. We want to remind the police and the Minister of State that we are in a democratic era, and [the] era of tyranny and “political Khakistocracy/” belong to the past.
We are shocked that after [the] recent adaptation of a framework on Police Media Relations and Safety of Journalists in the country, the Axim police supervised the seizure and deletion of reporter’s professional work, could be anything less than an attack on press freedom.
The post ARREST AFEKU’S BODYGUARD! appeared first on The Chronicle Online.
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