Alleged BNI Assault On A Journalist: The True Story

A photo journalist with Daily Guide newspaper, Gifty Lawson was said to

have been manhandled by BNI Officials last Thursday 12th January after she

attempted to take a photograph of DSP Gifty Mawuenyega Tehoda who appeared

in court over the controversial cocaine turned into baking soda saga. Some

Newspapers and radio stations went as far as to say BNI officials

indecently groped the photo journalist Gifty Lawson.

The alleged assault has attracted widespread condemnation from the Ghana

Journalists Association (GJA), Trade Union Congress (TUC), Media Foundation

for West Africa, Ghana Pentecostal Council and other groups. The National

Security Coordinator on the other hand has maintained that “Information

available to me on the incident of the 12 January 2012, indicates that no

journalist was molested or manhandled by the BNI “.

Painstaking Investigations conducted by the Investigation Team of the

_True Statesman_ indicates that there was no assault on Gifty Lawson by

any officials of the BNI as reported or at all.

In following this rather interesting story, this paper has found out

that, on the 11th January, 2012 at the premises of the High Court, Gifty

Lawson got herself engulfed in a confrontation with persons alleged to be

relatives of DSP Gifty Mawunyegah Tehoda. Some newspapers notably “The

Enquirer” on page 1, “Daily Guide” on page 2, and The Finder on page

3, all reported this incident on 12th January, 2012.

The “Enquirer’ report by Felix Engsalige Nyaaba, read in part as

follows:

“ _Angry family members of DSP Gifty Muwuenyegah_, a suspect in the

cocaine turned baking soda saga yesterday attacked journalists covering the

case in court and damaged their cameras and recorders. A female journalist

photographer with the Daily Guide News Paper Ms Gifty Lawson was severely

beaten for trying to take a shot of DSP Mawuenyegah …”

A GNA report captured by The Finder on the matter read in part as follows:

“… Relatives of DSP Mawuenyegah vented their spleen on a Daily

Guide photo journalist who attempted to take a shot of her soon after the

matter had been adjourned by the court. The relations caused damage to the

camera and rained insults on journalists, raving- ‘Fools you don’t know

anything’… “

The Daily Guide report by Mary Anane on the same episode read in part as

follows:

“ .. Just after proceedings when Daily Guide’s photo journalist tried

to take some photographs of DSP Tehoda, a well built man rushed on her

physically assaulting the journalist. He snatched the camera from her and

deleted all the pictures. Security officials at the court’s parking lot

who saw what was happening together with other journalists rushed to the

lady’s aid and saved her from further physical blows. The situation

created a nasty scene at the court with family members hurling insults on

the journalists and asking what rights they had to report the case.

Realising the mess he had created, the guy who was yet to be identified

rushed into his Audi car with registration number GE 7557W and sped off to

prevent being arrested by the police.”

It has also turned out that in response to the episode of 11th January,

the publishers of the “Daily Guide” Western Publications, hired the

services of two (2) macho men to provide body guard services to Ms. LAWSON

for her jaunt to the courts on the 12th January, 2012 and that she was

accompanied by the two Macho men to the court on that day.

On the 12th January, 2012, the court ordered that DSP Gifty Mawuenyega

Tehoda be returned to the BNI to prepare the documentation for her bail,

the BNI Officers present had to escort her to the service vehicle provided

for the purpose. The escorting team located DSP Tehoda within a

protective ring and was in the process of escorting her to a waiting

vehicle when one of the Daily Guide hired Macho men bodyguards Michael

Awampaga forcibly breached the ring, and sought to create access to DSP

Tehoda. The BNI officers tried to prevent him and in the process he Michael

Awampaga, slapped one of the BNI escorts in the face. Effort was

immediately focused on Awampaga who was quickly brought under control and

detained in one of the official vehicles. Ms. Gifty Lawson who indicated

that she was working in concert with the arrested Macho man Awampaga was

then also detained as an accomplice. Both were subsequently sent to the BNI

Head Office.

Our investigations also revealed that speaking to the Director of BNI at

the BNI Head Office, on that Thursday, 12 January 2012, Ms. Gifty Lawson

who wore a dark grey pair of trousers and a grey and black polka-dot long

sleeve shirt ARRIVED AT THE OFFICES OF BNI WITH HER CLOTHES INTACT AND

denied being assaulted by the Officers of the BNI. She was released

thereafter while Michael Awampaga was handed over to the Police.

Interestingly, on the evening of Friday 13th January, a torn dress

purportedly worn for the camera by the same Gifty Lawson was shown on Metro

Television as proof of the unfounded allegation that BNI officials had

actually assaulted and torn her dress on the 12th January 2012. What could

be the motive for this irresponsible journalism by Gifty Lawson, Gina Blay,

Metro TV and those who orchestrated this charade?

Meanwhile, when this paper contacted Gifty Lawson to clear few doubts

regarding her alleged assault, she declined comment insisting that her

employers are handling the matter.

More Anon//

The True Statesman

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