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//

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