The Human Rights and Governance Centre (HRGC), has asked President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to immediately disband the SWAT unit of the National Security Ministry.
The group made the call in a press statement issued on Friday, May 14, 2021.
The call is in reaction to the assault of Citi News’ Caleb Kudah and the gestapo-style invasion of the premises of Citi FM/Citi TV in a bid to arrest another journalist, Zoe Abu-Baidoo Addo.
According to the group, it received the news of the incidence with “deep regret”.
The group thus said it associates itself completely with the findings of the Ayawaso Wuagon Commission Report indicating the National Security had no mandate to operate as a police service.
They further urged the President to fully implement the Commission’s report.
“To the extent that the Ayawaso Wuagon Commission Report indicted the National Security with findings that National Security had no mandate to operate a police service, and recommended that the SWAT Unit of the National Security Ministry be disbanded, we hereby respectfully call upon the President to implement the recommendations of the Emile Short Commission. Indeed, the government itself has agreed to implement the recommendations through its White Paper. Why the failure to implement the recommendations?”
Meanwhile, it has also associated itself with calls for an independent probe into the matter.
“We also wish to join in the call for a commission of inquiry to be set up to investigate this torture and other tortures by the National Security. In this regard, a commission of inquiry can be set up based on the say-so of the President or a recommendation to the President from the Council of State or a resolution from Parliament to set up such a commission.”
About the raid and arrest
A team of seven heavily-armed police officers besieged the premises of Citi FM and Citi TV in an attempt to arrest one of the station’s journalists, Zoe Abu-Baidoo.
Zoe was targeted in the raid after the police accused her of electronically receiving some video files from her colleague, Caleb Kudah.
Mr. Kudah, also a broadcast journalist and Host of BackPage on Citi TV, had been accused of filming some abandoned cars at the Ministry of National Security, a supposed restricted security zone on Tuesday, and had sent the videos to Zoe via WhatsApp.
The security operatives, after arresting Caleb Kudah, subsequently raided Citi FM in an attempt to arrest Zoe.
However, both Mr. kudah and Zoe Abu-Baidoo were released later in the day on Tuesday, May 11, 2021.
