Kudos Police! But don’t delay Justice

PFollowing days of public outrage over the assault of two Ghanaian Times journalists and the heckling of another by policemen at Kinbu Traffic Light in Accra last Thursday, the Police Administration yesterday confirmed that three men involved in the despicable act have been interdicted.

A statement from the Police named Inspector Isaac Opare of the Ministries Division Police, Sergeant Ebenezer Akrofi of the Accra Regional Police Headquarters, and Lance Corporal Evans Kofi Ntim of the Police Visibility, Accra as those interdicted.

It further directed the Accra Regional Crime Officer to take over the investigations of the case from the Ministries Police Station.

Additionally, the Commander of the Accra Central Motor Traffic Unit has been instructed to take over the Motor Traffic Accident aspect of the case.

Both are to submit their reports in one week.

The statement said the Police Professional and Standard Bureau has also been directed to look into the conduct of the Police Officers who were on duty at the Ministries Police when the incident was reported.

The public would be updated on the progress of Police action, the statement concluded.

The Ghanaian Times welcomes the development although we had expected the response from the Police Administration to be swifter.

We understand that the interdiction is the first step towards reaching a reasonable conclusion to the latest assault case on journalists by the police.

We have confidence and trust in the Police Administration to ensure that justice is served the reporters who were assaulted.

While we commend the police for the steps taken so far, we wish to remind them that about ten policemen as well as a military man were involved in brutalising the innocent journalists whose only crime was to videotape an exchange between a driver and a policeman after an avoidable motor accident.

The question is; where are the others? We believe that those interdicted can identify them.

We, and Ghanaians at large, expect that all the perpetrators of the assault are identified and made to face the law as expected of all citizens when they fall foul of the law.

The law is no “respecter” of profession, rank, qualifications and institution and so we hope that all those involved would be brought to book.

We are also hopeful that investigations in the matter would be expedited and the case dealt with quickly.

All we desire is justice because justice delayed is justice denied.