The Attorney General’s Office says no policeman assaulted JoyNews’ Latif Iddrisu.
This was the suggestion by an Attorney at the Office, Nancyrita Twumasi Asiamah, when she cross-examined the journalist on Monday, January 30, 2023.
Mr Iddrisu, however, rejected the suggestion insisting he was beaten mercilessly by many policemen.
Mr. Iddrisu and The Multimedia Group are in court demanding payment of damages for the assault visited on the journalist by policemen.
The journalist was, in March 2018, beaten up while covering a protest at the police headquarters. He has since been battling various health complications arising twice from head injuries arising from the assault. He told the court on Monday the assault commenced shortly after he had asked a policeman the technical name of a vehicle he had seen at the premises.
“When the first officer I approached started the assault, he got his colleagues who were manning the entrance to also join the assault. When I felt my life was in danger due to the severity of the assault, I shouted, on top of my voice. And called the name of my camera technician. So he came close to me and I asked him to film what was happening.
Some of the officers pounced on him and moved him from that scene and pushed me into the main compound. And they did all this damage to me. It was then that I got to know that there were officers on the compound,” Latif recounted.
The state Attorney, however, dismissed the narration describing it as untrue.
“I put it to you that the police officer you approached to question did not assault you. Neither did the group of officers who were at the gate or the compound assault you,” she stated.
The journalist, however, insisted he was beaten by policemen. This suggestion by the Attorney General’s Office came shortly after it had urged the police to consider settling the matter out of court.
The Attorney revealed a letter had since been dispatched to the Inspector General of Police but a response has not been received.
Lead Counsel for The Multimedia Group and Latif Idrissu, Samson Lardi Anyenini, told the court his side was not opposed to a settlement but the case ought to progress.
He revealed the National Media Commission had previously attempted to mediate to ensure settlement but this did not yield much.
The case will be back in court on Tuesday, January 31, 2023.
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