GJA condemns police attack

Accra, Nov. 13, GNA - The Ghana Journalists Association (GJA), on Monday condemned the attack on Journalists by police last Friday saying the development was a dangerous snag in Ghana's impressive showing on global press freedom ratings.

A group of heavily armed policemen from Tema, Ada and Kisseih, for no just cause, brutalized media personnel assigned to cover a press conference held at Kportsum, near Ada on November 10, 2006. A statement signed by Mr. Bright Blewu, General Secretary of the GJA said the police were also alleged to have manhandled the organizers of the press conference held at a no-security zone by the Ada Songor Land Owing Clans to state their position on the administration of the Songor Salt Project by the Interim Management Committee. "The GJA is extremely concerned about the latest incident, especially when it was carried out by the police and condemns it in no uncertain terms."

It said there had been not less than six such attacks on journalists and photojournalists already this year and urged the Police Council to order an investigation into the matter and bring the perpetrators to book.

The statement said the GJA has written to Mr. Albert Kan Dapaah, Minister of the Interior and Mr. Patrick Acheampong, Inspector General of Police seeking audience with them separately sometime this week, to discuss the upsurge in physical attacks on the media personnel in Ghana.