Ahmed Suale
The Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) has urged the Ghana Police Service to intensify the search for and arrest of the assailants of Ahmed Suale, who was working with Anas Aremeyaw Anas’ Tiger Eye PI.
According to the GJA, the arrest of the murderers and their prosecution would send a clear and strident message that Ghana grants no immunity from impunity.
The President of the GJA, Roland Affail Monney, in his address at the forum to mark the 1st anniversary of the death of Ahmed Suale, said even though the incident occurred 12 months ago, it was still fresh in the memory of the Ghanaian media community.
The GJA president said little had been done to bring the perpetrators to book in spite of the fact that government and the police assured the media of their willingness to do so.
“The first glimmer of hope in exacting justice came from the police CID which announced last year that two persons had been arrested for questioning. Our sense of hope was reinforced by … President Akufo-Addo who told a conference of the Ghana Bar Association that the killers of Ahmed Suale would be found and prosecuted, but this is yet to happen,” he pointed out.
He said Africa is not known to have a good record of fishing out criminals who murder journalists, citing cases of the assassination of Deyda Hydara of the Gambia on 16th December 2004, as well as the GJA Ashanti Regional Chairman, Samuel Kwabena Ennin, who was shot dead at a popular spot at Pankrono Estate in Kumasi on February 2007.
“This time round, we are hoping and trusting that the Ghana police would break the jinx to salvage our country’s image and advance the cause of press freedom,” he added.
Mr. Monney further called on journalists to sharpen their sense of security, especially in this election year, and avoid areas and practices that could endanger their lives or safety.
The Police CID Public Relations Officer, DSP Juliana Obeng, in a statement, said investigators on this case are working around the clock 24/7 to find the murderers.
“On behalf of the Ghana police, I can say that there is tremendous progress on the case, the Inspector General of Police assures the family and the media fraternity that investigation is vigorously ongoing and justice would certainly be served,” she added.
She encouraged the family, the media and members of the public to continue to volunteer not just information but timely and accurate information that would help the police in their investigations.
A statement issued by the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) on behalf of its 600,000 members in 141 countries said, “The assassination of our colleague Ahmed cannot be allowed to become just another statistic in the grim toll of journalist killed and impunity for the assassins.”
By Jamila Akweley Okertchiri & Mary Asieduwaa