Media conglomerate, Multimedia Group Limited has filed a formal complaint at the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service against the Member of Parliament for Assin Central Constituency, Kennedy Ohene Agyapong for allegedly threatening the life of its journalist, Erastus Asare Donkor.
In a letter addressed to the Deputy Regional Police Commander of the Ashanti Region, the media organization stated that Mr. Kennedy Agyapong, on a live TV program aired on his Net 2 TV, called for the “serious” beatings of the journalist and added that he would have ensured he is beaten mercilessly if he were the President.
According to the media conglomerate, the lawmaker made these comments which it considers life-threatening because of the journalistic work Mr. Asare Donkor undertook during the Ejura shooting incident which resulted in the death of two persons and the injury of four others and his subsequent appearance before the committee investigating the incident.
“Honorable Agyapong launched the above scathing attacks and threats on Erastus Asare Donkor’s life because of the journalistic work that the latter undertook during the recent shootings and killing incident at Ejura, and his appearance before the Kingsley Koomson Committee investigating the incident,” the letter said.
Indicating the seriousness of the alleged threats on the life of the said journalist, it recalled the death of Ahmed Hussein-Suale of Tiger Eye PI whose life was also threatened in a similar fashion by the lawmaker.
It has, therefore, lodged the complaint requesting the CID to launch an investigation into the matter as well as provide security protection for its journalist.
“Sir, you may recall that sometime in the recent past, Honorable Agyapong issued similar threats against Ahmed Hussein-Suale, who at the time had undertaken some journalistic works; Ahmed Hussein-Suale was later horribly killed.
In the above circumstances, we wish to file this formal complaint of threat by Honorable Agyapong against the life of Erastus Asare Donkor and request that this complaint is investigated and Erastus Asare Donkor given the required protection,” it added.
The complaint is copied to 14 officials both locally and internationally including the Chief of Staff, Ministers of Interior and National Security, the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, the Ashanti Regional Minister, the Inspector General of Police, the Director of Criminal Investigation Department.
Others include; the Country Director of Media Foundation for West Africa, the Human Rights Watch and International Federation of Journalists.
This, it explained, is because of “the status of the Honorable Kennedy Ohene Agyapong; the national security implications of the comments; and the lessons from the recent history of similar comments”.
