Minister condemns police assault on journalist

Lands and Natural Resources Minister, John Peter Amewu, has condemned the police assault on a journalist on Tuesday when some protestors besieged the Police Headquarters in Accra to demand the release of Koku Anyidoho. Latif Iddris of Joy News was said to have been assaulted when he approached one of the police personnel who were controlling the crowd, to ask for the name of the anti-riot control vehicles. His question, which the officer failed to answer, angered the policeman who ordered him to get away. The police officer subsequently grabbed the retreating journalist from behind and slapped him for “asking a stupid question.”He then pushed him into a crowd of other police officers who had no clue of what had transpired and they in turn started beating the journalist. The police officers, now numbering about eight, took turns to assault the journalist. One of them hit him in the rib with a stick while another officer used the butt of his gun to hit his head about three times. Latif has since been on admission at the Lighthouse Mission Hospital in Accra where he is being treated for sustained injuries on his ribs and neck. Lands and Natural Resources Minister, John Peter Amewu, on Wednesday visited Latif to wish him speedy recovery. He condemned the action of the police personnel against Latif who is a member of his Ministry’s press corps. By 3news.com|Ghana]]>