The Trades Union Congress has joined a tall list of organisations and individuals to condemn the reported assault on a Daily Guide photojournalist by operatives of the BNI. A statement signed by the TUC Secretary-General Kofi Asamoah, said the assault must be investigated and the perpetrators brought to book. Read the full statement below. GHANA TRADES UNION CONGRESS (TUC) STATEMENT ON REPORT OF THE ASSAULT OF JOURNALISTS The attention of the Ghana Trades Union Congress has been drawn to what has been reported as the arrest of one Gifty Lawson, a reporter of the Daily Guide newspaper and two other employees of that press house, Michael Awampaga and Anthony Antwi, Thursday, 12 January 2012 in connection with events that ensued at the court precincts following the bail application of DSP Gifty Mawuenyega Tehoda, the police officer detained by the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI) in the cocaine- turned- sodium carbonate saga. Information reaching Congress suggests that not only were the journalists arrested, but in the process they were subjected to severe beatings, and threatened with death by gun-toting officers of the Bureau of National Investigations, for doing no more than their duty as journalists. Further, news reports have it that Gifty Lawson in particular was roughly handled in a sexist and chauvinist manner characteristic of male chauvinists that have little respect for womanhood. The Ghana –TUC cannot confirm any of these accounts. We cannot however pretend to gloss over the fact that Ms. Gifty Lawson was released unconditionally by the BNI that very day without any charge. Be that as it may, Ghana TUC wishes to state unequivocally that such conduct is not the type of behaviour the TUC expects from the BNI or other security agencies of the Republic in the performance of their duties. And if indeed, any such acts took place at the court presents Thursday, Ghana TUC condemns them unreservedly and demands that the perpetrators thereof be brought swiftly to book to serve as a deterrent to all and sundry that such behaviour is completely unacceptable in the Fourth Republic. The BNI and the security agencies generally ought to know that even persons suspected of having committed an offence have rights and ought to be treated with civility and dignity and in accordance with due process of law. Accordingly, we ask that the Ghana Police Service conduct an urgent inquiry into what took place to establish the facts and any officer of the BNI found culpable be made to face the full rigours of the laws. For, no one is above the law. Ghana TUC takes the occasion to reiterate the point that the days when security agencies of the state acted with impunity in Ghana are long gone and that the people of Ghana will no longer appease impunity. We shall remain steadfast in demanding accountability and propriety of conduct from all public officers. Long live the Rule of Law. Long live Freedom of the press. Long live Ghana. KOFI ASAMOAH SECRETARY GENERAL