The Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) has condemned the attack on award-winning journalist Erastus Asare Donkor and his crew at Asumenya, in the Amansie South District in the Ashanti Region, while covering wanton destruction of the environment recently.
In a statement issued by GJA, it disclosed that armed thugs protecting a mining site at a village belonging to Edelmetallum Mining Resources Limited grabbed the Multimedia Group Limited team in the line of work, seized their equipment and subjected them to brute assault.
GJA accused the thugs of manhandling the multimedia crew, leaving them in a horrible state of health, after which they reported the issue to Manso Edubia Police Station.
“The armed thugs wielding pump action guns took the multimedia crew to a secluded forest at a village nearby, where they assaulted and abandoned them in severe bodily harm, including swollen eyes and a ringing effect in the ear.”
The multimedia crew subsequently reported the incident at the Manso Edubia Police Station, where they were given medical forms with which they sought medical treatment at the Agroyesum Hospital.
While commending the police for arresting three of the suspects involved in the act, the GJA urged the police to arrest the others as well.
“We particularly commend the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) for showing interest in the case and urge the police to arrest the others and prosecute them immediately,” the GJA said.
The GJA charged the police to demonstrate, in all circumstances, that they are in control of internal security, including the protection of the environment.
It called on the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Minerals Commission (MC) to suspend the permit and licence of Edelmetallum Mining Resources Limited to allow for investigations into the operation of the mining company, particularly the adverse impact of the mining operations on the environment.
