Invoke international powers to pursue justice – Amnesty Int’l to Ahmed Suale’s family

Country Director for Amnesty International, Robert Akoto Amoafo has urged family of slain investigative journalist, Ahmed Suale to go beyond Ghana to appeal to international bodies in the fight for justice a year after the unfortunate incident.

He believes processes leading to the arrest of the perpetrators of the crime by the police have been relatively slow, reason the family ought to do more than just reaching out to civil society organisations in Ghana.

Speaking in an exclusive interview with www.ghanaweb.com, he said the family must “get civil societies and other organisations to put pressure on government to ensure that this case is heard. Also calling the attention of international organisations and therefore putting pressure on government.”

By this, he believes the police service will be obliged to fulfil their responsibilities and with speed at that, if this is done.

About the response to the case from the camp of the police, Mr. Akoto Amoafo said,

“It’s quite sad that it’s been over a year and the police haven’t come out with any concrete information about Ahmed Suale who was killed and we are still concerned that justice is being delayed for our brother because we all know what happened and what the next steps are to get closer to the case so it is rather unfortunate and sad that we haven’t heard anything.

Adding,

“If investigations are done and the proper follow ups are done, then it will blow the confidence of the journalists and for somebody like me, it will build my confidence in the justice system and the police, taking very much note of the fact that the police is the entry system for the justice system in Ghana.

If they don’t do their work as expected and if we don’t get any concrete feedback on how far they’ve gone on the issue of Ahmed Suale, and they delay, then they keep weakening and chopping off our confidence in the justice system and their ability to support us to ensure that justice is delivered to those who deserve it the most.”

Ahmed Suale, who was a key member of Investigative Team; Tiger Eye was shot dead at his residence at Madina by unknown assailants.

News of his murder sparked serious debates in various spheres whilst many called for immediate action from the police and his family ‘barked’ for justice.

Very little has been seen as far as results in the fight for justice is concerned, a year on and many, including Mr. Akoto Amoafo believe the delays on the part of the police merely exposes the deficiencies in the country’s justice system and diminishes the trust Ghanaians have vested in the police service.

Meanwhile, the Anas Coalition on social media has released an artistic impression of the supposed assailants involved in the murder.

The Police CID is also assuring that concrete work has been done as far as following up on the case is concerned.

Public Relations Officer of the Criminal Investigations Department, DSP Juliana Obeng, speaking at the one-year anniversary to commemorate the murder of Ahmed Suale, said the Ghana Police Service over the last 12-months has not relented in its efforts to bring the perpetrators of the murder to book.

“A lot of information has been gathered and I say at this moment on behalf of the Ghana Police Service that tremendous progress has been made on the case.’