NPP must take responsibility and compensate JoyNews' Latif Iddrisu for assault – Affail Monney

Affail Monney, the former President of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA), condemned the assault on JoyNews journalist Latif Iddrisu. He urged the New Patriotic Party (NPP) to take responsibility and provide compensation.

The incident happened on May 27 at the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) in Accra. Latif Iddrisu was covering the detention of NPP Ashanti Regional Chairman Bernard Antwi-Boasiako, known as Chairman Wontumi.

Mr. Monney stated, “The NPP should be prepared to pay adequate compensation.” He believes this would help alleviate Latif's suffering.

Chairman Wontumi was taken away by EOCO officials after being invited by the Criminal Investigations Department (CID). This was due to allegations of illegal mining activities.

Mr. Monney called the attack “highly unacceptable in a civilised society.” He emphasized that upholding the rule of law is crucial.

He said, “Anyone who finds themselves on the wrong side of the law must face consequences.” He described the assault as “a pure act of impunity” with dangerous consequences if ignored.

“If impunity is not dealt with decisively,” he warned, “it creates a cycle that is hard to manage.”

He called for urgent action from law enforcement: “We expect our police system to deal with such issues quickly.”

Mr. Monney also highlighted the judiciary's role: “When cases reach court, we expect justice to be served swiftly.”

He insisted that an apology from the NPP would not be enough.