The National Security Council Secretariat has rejected claims that National Security operatives tortured the Modern Ghana journalists detained recently.
The secretariat in a statement insists that the suspect, Emmanuel Ajarfor, “was never manhandled, neither was he subjected to any form of forced physical contact.”
“We consider it to be a clear and deliberate attempt by the suspect to discredit the investigations and the case against him… Torture and manhandling of suspects are not part and parcel of the culture and architecture of the secretariat under the administration of President Akufo-Addo.”
In addition, the secretariat expects a medical examination to “present the truth in the matter.”
Mr. Ajarfor, who was detained alongside a fellow journalist, Emmanuel Yeboah Britwum, will be arraigned later today, Tuesday and charges against him made known.
Ajarfor had claimed that he was manhandled and tortured by National Security personnel during his interrogation.
Personnel who identified themselves as operatives from the National Security reportedly arrested two journalists of the online portal in their office in Accra on Thursday.
It remains unclear why the two were picked up but it is believed to be linked to an article published by the website which was critical of the National Security Minister, Albert Kan Dapaah and Member of Parliament for the Effutu constituency, Alexander Afenyo-Markin.
The arrests were criticised by groups like the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) and the OneGhana Movement.
The foundation called on the Minister of National Security and the National Security Co-ordinator to clarify the circumstances surrounding the raid, who the perpetrators are and whether they were officially mandated to carry out the operation.
According to MFWA, the editor of modernghana.com, William Nana Beeko said the operatives did not present any warrant.
They also reportedly seized laptops from the media organisation.
