Citi FM raid: CDD-Ghana calls on CHRAJ to investigate all attacks on journalists, bring perpetrators to book

The Ghana Center for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana) has called on the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) to investigate and bring the perpetrators of the arrest of Citi FM/Citi journalists to book.

The Center is also asking CHRAJ to investigate other attacks on journalists including that of Modernghana's editor Emmanuel Ajarfor Abugri which happened in June, 2019.

On Tuesday, May 11, 2021, Mr. Caleb Kudah, a reporter with Citi FM in Accra was arrested by operatives of the National Security Ministry for allegedly taking ‘unauthorized’ pictures and videos of vehicles procured with state funds but reportedly abandoned for a long period of time and parked within the premises of the National Security Ministry.

Subsequently, heavily armed operatives of the National Security Ministry invaded the premises of Citi FM in an attempt to arrest another reporter, Ms. Zoe Abu-Baidoo, for allegedly receiving the said pictures and videos taken by her colleague, Mr Kudah.

In the aftermath of the two arrests, CDD-Ghana has released a statement for the wayforward.

According to the not-for-profit research and advocacy think tank, it “condemns the armed invasion of the station’s premises and the attempted arrest of its reporters without regard to the arrest procedure prescribed by law which outlaws the arrest of persons in such situations without a court warrant and caution.”

The release from CDD-Ghana continues, “The Center also condemns the reported assault of Mr Kudah by operatives of the National Security Ministry while he was held in custody.”

In addition, CDD-Ghana wants CHRAJ to conduct investigations into the matter and bring perpetrators to book for the required punishment in accordance with the country’s Constitution.

“The Center calls on the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) to thoroughly investigate this and many other incidents of assault on journalists by members of security agencies and bring the perpetrators to justice, in accordance with article 218 of the Constitution.

“Further, the Center calls on government to implement the recommendations of the Emile Short Commission with respect to streamlining the structure and operations of national security agencies, including but not limited to the training of officers of security agencies to internalise and respect human rights in their activities,” the release from CDD-Ghana concludes.

Below is the full release from CDD-Ghana: