Pressure group OneGhana Movement has called for the immediate suspension of investigations by the National Security Ministry into the alleged manhandling of Citi FM journalist Caleb Kudah by operatives.
The group wants an independent body to be constituted by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to look into the matter.
The Ministry on Thursday, May 13 announced that it was taking Caleb Kudah’s narration of his ordeal in the hands of the National Security seriously by looking into the matter.
“The Ministry of National Security wishes to assure the public that appropriate actions shall be taken if the allegations are found to be true,” a statement issued by the Chief Director, Lt. Col. (rtd) Ababio Serebour, said.
But in a press statement issued on Friday, May 14, OneGhana Movement said the action by the National Security operatives, first of all, amounts to an “illegality” and a “breach of the constitution”.
“It is our considered opinion that the press statement issued by the National Security Ministry (NSM) does not reveal whether Mr. Kudah was informed of the crime for his arrest; at the time of arrest and indeed till date, the NSM has not been able to point to any specific offence in the laws of Ghana.
“The statement indicates that Mr. Kudah entered the premises by false pretense. We are sorry to state that this ‘purported’ offence of ‘false pretense’ is not known under the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29) neither does ‘no taking of photographs’ constitute any offence under the law.”
The group wants the president, who has oversight responsibility over the intelligence agencies, to immediately “constitute a panel of eminent persons for a public inquiry opened to all who have ever encountered such treatment constantly reported in the media and by lawyers to testify”.
By Emmanuel Kwame Amoh|3news.com|Ghana
