The Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) has issued a two-month ultimatum to the Ghana Police Service to bring significant progress to the investigation and prosecution of those responsible for the murder of investigative journalist Ahmed Suale.

The GJA warns that failure to do so by the end of March 2025 will compel the association to escalate the matter to the ECOWAS Court of Justice and other international bodies.

Speaking at a press conference, the GJA President, Albert Dwumfour expressed deep frustration over the lack of progress in the case, which has dragged on for six years without any arrests.

“Another case that has baffled the nation and, indeed, the international community over the years is the murder of investigative journalist Ahmed Suale. It is very unfortunate and disappointing that six years after the murder of Ahmed Suale, no arrest has been made. What is even more disheartening is the lackadaisical police investigations into the murder,” Mr Dwumfour lamented.

He further highlighted a disturbing revelation made in February 2024 by the former Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Godfred Yeboah Dame, that his office had not received any prosecution-ready docket from the police regarding the case, then five years after the incident.

Read also: A Plus threatens to expose alleged perpetrator in Ahmed Suale murder

Adding to the concern, Mr Dwumfour referenced recent comments by the Member of Parliament for Gomoa Central, Kwame Asare-Obeng, popularly known as A-Plus, who claimed to have provided the Police Criminal Investigations Department (CID) with information about the suspected killers. A-Plus also threatened to publicly reveal the suspect's name if the police failed to act.

“These developments have raised serious questions about the willingness of the Police to resolve this matter,” the GJA president stated.

“We are giving the Ghana Police Service up to the end of March 2025 to come out with something concrete on the investigation, arrest, and prosecution of suspects in the murder case. We urge the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice-designate, and the President to take a keen interest in this case,” he stressed.

Mr Dwumfour also called on President John Mahama to as a matter of urgency deal with matters of media attacks and brutalities.

He said beyond the freedom and rights the media are supposed to enjoy under the 1992 constitution of Ghana, incidents of attacks and brutalities on journalists in the country draw us back on the international pedestal.

Mr. Dwumfour is appealing to the executive, legislature, judiciary and civil society organizations to join the fight against media attacks and brutalities.

Addressing a news conference in Accra, Mr. Dwumfour mentioned disturbing news of the barbaric attack on Ohemeng Tawiah of the Multimedia Group Limited who was brutally attacked by a mob of illegal small-scale miners operating in the Offin Shelter Belt Forest Reserve.

Read also: Take personal interest in and prosecute attackers of JoyNews journalists – GJA tells Mahama

He said, Ohemeng Tawiah, who was leading a JoyNews team to cover a police operation to clamp down on the activities of illegal miners, was nearly killed by the mob.

According to Mr. Dwumfour, a JoyNews report suggested that, Mr. Ohemeng Tawiah sustained head and chest injuries, twisted fingers, and multiple cuts on his body after surviving a machete attack, in what appears to be an attempt to cut off his right leg.

"Colleagues, this is what happened to a journalist working in the interest of the public and Mother Ghana; a journalist working to ensure that our land and natural resources are not devastated and dissipated; a journalist working to ensure that children are not born with deformities as a result of contamination of the environment with hazardous substances; a journalist working to ensure that we all don’t suffer health hazards from the activities of illegal small scale miners; and yet, we have all kept quiet on this matter,"' Dwumfour stated.

He said a similar barbaric case of assault involving Erastus Asare Donkor also of the Multimedia Group Ltd is pending without much effort from the law enforcement agencies and the judiciary.

He added, "We shall revisit the case of Latif Iddrisu formerly of Multimedia Group Limited to the ECOWAS Community Court of Justice if nothing concrete comes from the Police by the end of March 2025. Latif was brutally assaulted by unidentified police officers at the headquarters of the Criminal Investigations Department while covering a demonstration by some supporters of the NDC.

"The assault damaged his skull and since then, he has been battling for life. However, six years after the incident, police investigations have been rather tardy. The Police claim they do not have or cannot find evidence for prosecution. They further claim the CCTV at the crime scene was faulty on that fateful day Latif was assaulted."