On July 30, at least seven military officers, some of whom were wearing Ghana’s National Intelligence Bureau vests, attacked Calony, a news anchor and program producer with the privately owned Joy News outlet, and Voergborlo, a camera operator with the same company, as they covered the demolition of a building in the capital, Accra, Calony told CPJ.
“Authorities in Ghana should ensure transparent investigations into the attack on journalists Carlos Lorlornyo Atsu Calony and Jonas Zodzi Voergborlo, and hold the military officers responsible to account,” said CPJ Africa Program Coordinator Muthoki Mumo. “Despite their mandate as protectors, Ghanaian security forces are unfortunately known for abusing journalists on the job.”
At least one of the officers punched Calony twice, causing the journalist to develop severe pains in his spine and intermittent blurred vision in his left eye, he told CPJ. He added that an officer threatened to similarly hit Voergborlo if he filmed the attack and that the officers smashed one of Calony’s phones and the journalist’s camera. Calony said his microphone and earphones were also damaged during the attack.
The officers then took Calony to the National Intelligence Bureau headquarters in Accra, where they held him for about 45 minutes, he told CPJ.
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