Inspector General begins investigation into assault of Multimedia journalists

The Inspector General of Police has directed an investigation into the assault of Multimedia journalists by two police officers at Senchi in the Eastern Region.

The two officers, Django Fatau and Mr Tetteh shoved aside Joy News reporter, Matilda Wemegah and slapped the cameraman David McCarthy for filming an incident on the ferry.

Superintendent Cephas Arthur who visited Multimedia this morning on the instruction of the IGP said the police boss has taken a serious view of the incident and will deal with it

He said the police administration “take serious view of police officers who misconduct themselves” and it will do everything within it power to ensure that the culprits are brought to book."

Whatever processes that are necessary for the investigation to be conducted will be undertaken, he said.

The two Joy News journalists were assaulted after they tried to film a scuffle between the policeman and a trailer driver on the Senchi ferry in the Eastern Region.

Matilda who narrated their ordeal said, she along with two other staff members had gone to the Asougyaman district to do one of their usual community reports.

After they got clearance from the ferry operators to join the Senchi ferry, she said, she noticed that a policeman had arrested a trailer driver. The cause of the arrest was not immediately established.

She described what ensued between the two as “quite a violent thing” and so “I signaled my cameraman to start filming”.

But the policeman immediately abandoned the arrest when he saw the camera technician filming the Saturday scuffle.

However, the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) has condemned the attack on the journalists.

Its president, Affail Monney told Super Morning Show host, Kojo Yankson, the GJA has written to the IGP to conduct thorough investigations and bring the culprits to book.

He said “what crime did these reporters commit to be subjected to this purgatory of violence perpetrate d by people who are supposed to protect them.”

He said the incident has occurred too many times and the recent one, like the rest must not be taken for granted and that “such barbaric cruelty should be consigned to history and not be made to dominate our social life.”

He said he hopes the GJA’s petition to the IGP will receive the needed attention and a thorough investigation is conducted into the incident and the perpetrators brought to book.

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