Information Minister, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, has said the government is confident that a probe launched by the National Security Ministry into the alleged maltreatment of Citi FM/Citi TV’s Caleb Kudah will be thorough.
He said the government’s expectation is that the National Security Ministry will see the investigation through and, if the allegations check out, punish the operatives responsible for the human rights abuses.
“Our expectation is that that enquiry is not a perfunctory enquiry. It will get to the bottom of [the allegations] and find out if indeed these allegations are true for the persons responsible for it to be held to account.
“No ifs, no buts. There are many times when you hear security agencies say they are investigating a matter and these investigations never end. But it is important that this investigation is seen through and the persons responsible if these accounts are found to be true, are held to account,†he told Citi FM on Friday, May 14, 2021.
The Minister made the comments when he paid a courtesy call on the Adabraka-based media house following the allegations.
READ ALSO: Akufo-Addo cannot remain silent on Caleb Kudah – Prof Azar
His comments follow a mounting campaign against the decision by the National Security Ministry to launch an internal investigation into the alleged human rights abuses against the journalist.
The journalist said he was detained and tortured for filming abandoned vehicles parked at the premises of the National Security Ministry without permission.
In a press statement issued on Thursday, May 13, 2021, the Ministry pledged to investigate allegations that its operatives manhandled the journalist before and during interrogation.
Giving further assurance that government takes the matter seriously, Mr Oppong Nkrumah also said beyond the probe, the Ministry of Information has been working to strengthen the National Media Commission (NMC) to take an interest in the matter.
The NMC is constitutionally mandated to, among other things, preserve the sanctity of media practice in Ghana.
“We’ve been working to strengthen their outfits so that they can also independently deal with some of these matters. That is why a few months ago we set a whole office dedicated to this purpose.
“Over the holiday I have had the opportunity to speak to the Chairman and Secretary of the [NMC] that they need to take an interest in this matter and indeed the other reports as have come forward and do their enquiries and put forward the necessary recommendations that need to be put out,†the Information Minister revealed.