MFWA condemns attack on 2 Ghanaian journalists - The Accra-based sub-regional rights body, the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA), has condemned the physical attack against two Ghanaian photo-journalists, Nii Martey Botwe and Vincent Dzatse, by the country's military personnel.
In a statement, received here by PANA Monday, MFWA said the two journalists were assaulted while covering Ghana’s 56th independence anniversary ceremony on 6 March.
According to the MFWA, Botwe of the State-owned Daily Graphic had his genitals electrocuted and his colleague, Dzatse, of the State-owned Ghanaian Times was slapped on the face several times by some military personnel at the ceremony grounds.
'MFWA condemns this brutish assault on the two photo-journalists who were only performing their journalistic duties,' the statement noted.
The rights body explained that Botwe was assaulted when he attempted to take photographs of President John Mahama who was exchanging pleasantries with some dignitaries at the event.
It was also stated that Dzatse on the other hand was reportedly ordered to move behind security markings, but as he tried to explain that he was already there, the military officer allegedly hit Dzatse's head with a baton and violently pushed him to the ground, destroying his camera in the process.
The two journalists were said to have been treated at a hospital and were later discharged the same day.
Ghana's Information Minister Mahama Ayariga, on behalf of the government, reportedly condemned the attack, saying the Ministry of Defence had been ordered to “as a matter of urgency, conduct investigations and bring the culprits to book”.
MFWA welcomed the government’s condemnation of the incident and demanded that the government fulfills its promise of “ensuring that an appropriate action is taken on the matter”.
'The MFWA joins the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) to call on the Military High Command and the Ministry of Defence to immediately bring the perpetrators of the act to book,' the statement added.
Pana 12/03/2013