A high court in Accra yesterday asked the Inspector General of Police (IGP) and the Attorney-General (A-G) to produce close circuit television (CCTV) footage on the day Mr Latif Iddrisu, a senior broadcast journalist, was allegedly assaulted by policemen, to the Multimedia Group Limited, by February 6, 2020.
The court further asked the defendants to submit the list of officers stationed at the premises of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) headquarters, of the Ghana Police Service, on the day of the assault on the Multimedia Group Limited journalist and that of those, who manned the crowd control vehicles.
The order was at the behest of Mrs Roselyne Kaledzi, who held brief for Mr Samson Lardi Anyenini, counsel for the plaintiffs, for the release of the documents in the custody of the defendants.
Mr Iddrisu and his employers sued the IGP and the A-G for GH₵10 million in compensatory damages for the alleged assault on the journalist, on March 27, 2018.
The defendants filed their statement of defence and indicated that they would not object any of the issues that the plaintiffs wanted the court to set down for trial.
The court adopted all the issues filed by the plaintiffs for trial and asked the parties to file their witness statements.
Mr Iddrisu, the first plaintiff, was assaulted by policemen while covering news of the arrest of former Deputy General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress at the Police Headquarters.
Multimedia Group Limited, the second plaintiff said that Mr Iddrisu was assaulted in line of duty on the day of the incident.
Mr Iddrisu said he angrily shouted “to get off” for asking a harmless question to assist him make an accurate report of the event.
Plaintiff said that he was embarrassed and put in fear of harm by the threatening conduct of the police officer who was standing by a police crowd control vehicle which plaintiff enquired to know the specific name for same.
The said officer, whose identity is yet to be known violently held Mr Iddrisu by his shirt, pulled and slapped him in the face.
The plaintiff fell on the ground while other policemen subjected him to severe beatings.
The policemen allegedly used the butt of a gun to hit Mr Iddrisu several times in the head.
Mr Iddrisu was badly injured and begun to vomit blood.
The Multimedia Group Limited is therefore seeking an order for special damages in the sum of GH¢10 million, an order for exemplary and aggravated damages, an order for general damages and costs including legal fees.
It is the case of the plaintiffs that the said occasion or event concerned investigations over serious crimes including the felony of treason, which provoked public interest and saw a section of citizens massing up at the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) headquarters.
In their statement of claim signed by Mr Anyenini, the first plaintiff avers that while at the entrance to the premises exercising his profession and constitutional duties/rights, officers of first defendant unlawfully and without provocation assaulted and battered him.
He stated that the Inspector General of Police having failed to pursue settlement and compensation it proposed at the National Media Commission (NMC) is not minded to take any steps to assure plaintiffs of justice unless compelled by the court.
The case has been adjourned to April 1, 2020, for a case management conference.
BY MALIK SULLEMANA
