The Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) condemns the assault on the cameraman of Accra-based Joy News by soldiers at a Church in East Legon, a suburb of Ghana’s capital, Accra, on June 23, 2019.
The cameraman, David Ankomah, was physically assaulted by soldiers while he was covering protests by customers of EL Real Estates and Tikowre Capital, two investment companies owned by Kelvin Kossi Kobiri, the Head Pastor of Zoe Outreach Embassy Church. The military men had been invited by Pastor Kobiri to restrain the angry customers who were trying to disrupt the ongoing church service to protest the alleged mismanagement of their funds invested in the pastor’s firms.
The security forces also seized the journalist’s camera, apparently to prevent the airing of their repression of the protesters. Fortunately, some of the protesters gathered courage to retrieve the camera for Ankomah.
The attack on the cameraman who was performing his legitimate duties is a violation of his rights and press freedom. We, therefore, call on the military authorities to investigate the incident and sanction the soldiers involved.
