The family of late Ahmed Suale has refuted claims they received any support from Anas Aremeyaw Anas and Kennedy Agyapong to finance a press conference or arrest the suspected murderers of the murdered journalist.
According to the family, all events held by them were sponsored with the family resources.
Speaking at the Maiden Ahmed Suale press freedom memorial lecture, the family Spokesperson Imam Mustapha Iddris said “we wish to state categorically that the family has not received any financial assistance either from Anas Aremeyaw Anas or Kennedy Agyapong to carry out with any activity. Since day one, the family has sponsored all its activities from within the family resources”.
Ahmed Saule an investigative Journalist with the Tiger Eye PI has murdered whiles on his way home on the 16th of January 2019.
Meanwhile, the family has questioned the mysterious disappearance of one of the suspects who escaped from police custody and has since been on the run.
Imam Mustapha Iddris said “recently during our surveillance, some people collaborated with the family: leading to the arrest of two suspects of which one mysteriously escaped from the police custody and has since been on the run. We are unable to tell, whether they are members of the state institution, civil society group or private individuals. We can only inform the public of the identities of those individuals, when we finally get those behind the act.”
The family also used the opportunity to appeal to government to speed up with investigations, protect journalists, strengthen press freedom and prosecute crime against journalists.
Chief Executive Officer of Ghana Chamber of Telecommunication, Kenneth Ashigbey speaking at the same event, noted that the country is not doing enough in the fight to bring murderers of Ahmed Suale to book.
According to him, there has been very little progress in the case of Ahmed Suale and other assault cases involving journalists across the country.
“Sad to say, we are not doing enough as a country. As at today, we are seeing very little progress in the case of Ahmed Suale and there is very little been done to punish perpetuators of these crimes against all of us in the several media assault cases that have been recorded. At best media assault and murder cases die with mere assurance of investigation by the police”.
He attributed the attacks and murder of journalists in the country to lack of strong advocacy on the safety of journalists and culture of impunity on crimes against journalists as punishment have been very rear.
“Journalist unions and media bodies haven’t advocated enough on safety of journalist. At best we issue press statements and then nothing happens and that is enough,” he said.
Source: www.ghanaweb.com