Accra: The Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) is demanding a concrete update on the investigation in the murder case of Ahmed Suale, an investigative journalist, by the end of March 2025. “If by the end of March 2025, we have not seen or heard satisfactory reaction to our demand, we shall proceed to the Economic Community of West Africa States (ECOWAS) Community Court of Justice to seek resolution of this matter,” Mr. Albert Kwabena Dwumfour, GJA President, stated at a news conference in Accra on Wednesday.
According to Ghana News Agency, Mr. Dwumfour expressed disappointment that six years after the murder of Ahmed Suale, no arrest had been made. He highlighted that former Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Godfred Yeboah Dame, disclosed in February 2024 that his office had not received a prosecutable police docket on the murder of Ahmed Suale, five years after the incident.
Just last week, Kwame Asare-Obeng, the Member of Parliament for Gomoa Central, also known as A-Plus, claimed he provided information to the Police Criminal Investigations Department (CID) about the suspected killers of Ahmed Suale. He threatened to reveal the suspect’s name if the Police did not make their investigations public, casting doubt on the Police’s commitment to resolving the case.
Mr. Dwumfour noted that the GJA also plans to take the case of Latif Iddrisu, formerly of Multimedia, to the ECOWAS Community Court of Justice if no concrete developments occur by March 2025. Latif was assaulted by unidentified police officers at the Criminal Investigations Department headquarters while covering a demonstration, resulting in severe injuries.
The GJA President criticized the slow pace of police investigations, mentioning that the Police claimed a lack of evidence for prosecution and cited a faulty CCTV at the crime scene. He urged the Inspector-General of Police, the Attorney-General, and the President to take a keen interest in the case.
Mr. Kofi Yeboah, the General Secretary of GJA, stated the Association’s dissatisfaction with the Police’s response and mentioned the potential escalation to the ECOWAS court if necessary. He emphasized that the Association had received legal advice and would rely on the ECOWAS court if the situation remained unresolved.
Mr. Omar Faruk Osman, President of the Federation of African Journalists, expressed concern over unjust attacks on journalists and supported GJA’s stance against impunity. He warned of taking the matter to international forums, including the International Court of Justice and the UN Council, if justice was not served for Ahmed Suale and his family.