Albert Kwabena Dwumfour, President of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA), has called on the Attorney-General to release the investigative report on the murder of investigative journalist, Ahmed Suale.
The Attorney-General and Minister for Justice, Godfred Yeboah Dame, on Tuesday, February 20, 2024, stated that no docket fit for prosecution or action has been submitted to his office regarding the murder of the investigative journalist.
While the investigation is still in progress, the Minister noted that four suspects were initially detained to assist with the investigation. However, they were later released on police enquiry bail after eyewitnesses failed to identify them.
Ahmed Suale was tragically murdered on January 16, 2019, by two unidentified individuals on a motorbike with a concealed license plate. The incident took place in Madina as Suale was returning from a family gathering.
The GJA President questioned the AG’s reluctance to release the investigative report, after stating that the docket is not suitable for prosecution.
In an interview on The Point of View on Citi TV, hosted by Bernard Avle, the GJA President criticized the security agencies for their lack of seriousness in dealing with attacks on journalists
“As we speak today, we still haven’t gotten anywhere with investigations. The Attorney-General will come out and tell you that he has still not received any docket fit for prosecution. If you have not received a docket fit for prosecution, why don’t you make the docket you have received known to the public? It means that there’s still a docket, if it’s not fit for prosecution, give us the state of the investigative report on the matter.
“So that at least we can all go to sleep and say that this is what the police have gotten to. We are in this country where police officers were shot dead and in a matter of 24/48 hours, police have arrested [suspects]. Without any lead, they have been arrested and prosecuted, and some are on remand. So, that should tell you the unseriousness the security agencies or companies attach to the attacks on the media. This very real,” he pointed out.
He also questioned the last time a politician was arrested for assaulting a journalist
“When was the last time you heard that a politician or a preparator of an attack on the media has been placed behind bars? They don’t take issues concerning the media very seriously.”
