Explainer: Why Citi FM/TV’s Caleb Kudah and Zoe Abu-Baidoo were arrested; detailed chronology
On Tuesday, May 11, 2021, news broke that a journalist with Accra-Based Citi TV/FM, Caleb Kudah, and his colleague, Zoe Abu-Baidoo had been arrested by National Security Operatives.
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Most individuals had conflicting explanations for the incident that happened on Tuesday between the two Citi News journalists and the National security.
YEN.com.gh has taken time to explain chronologically, exactly what ensued between the aforementioned parties.
The reason for his arrest was initially mentioned to be the fact that he run some satirical commentary on the Police Personnel who were stationed at the Black Star Square to prevent the Ghanaian youth from protesting on May 9, 2021.
Source: UGC
Information that later surfaced across various news portals including YEN.com.gh indicated that he was arrested for filming at the premises of the National Security.
There was a 'no photography' notice and directive at the premises since it is known to be a security zone.
Upon interrogation, it was revealed that the host of the Back page on Citi TV was only filming some MASLOC vehicles that were parked in the car park of the National Security Ministry.
While under interrogation, the officials realised Caleb had forwarded files from his phone to his Colleague, Zoe Abu-Baidoo who was in the office.
After realising this, the operatives from the security installation stormed the premises of Citi TV/FM in the company of armed policemen to pick up Zoe for interrogation.
But for the timely intervention of Samuel Attah Mensah and Bernard Avle who both form part of the management of the media firm, Zoe would have been dragged to join Caleb at the National Security Ministry.
Zoe was later escorted by her bosses, Bernard and Samuel Attah Mensah to give her statement to the security operatives.
Both Caleb and Zoe were released to go home the same day they were invited for interrogation.
Narrating his traumatic ordeal, Caleb said he was detained and interrogated for several hours amidst torture and maltreatment.
He revealed that he was pushed down to sit, was butted in the groin area, and was slapped from the back while trying to appeal to them that they had beaten him enough.
The journalist added that he had to deny his ethnicity for fear of being tortured more if he had confirmed that he was indeed an Ewe like one of the operatives suggested.
Commenting on the incident, the president of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA), Roland Affail Monney said Caleb Kudah breached a GJA code of ethics.
According to him, filming at the National Security premises was in breach of the Association’s code of ethics.
Affail Monney said even though people are stating that Caleb was acting in the interest of the public by adhering to Article 3 of the same constitution, his efforts were unclear.
“Caleb erred as far as our ethics is concerned. He clearly breached the ethics relative to Article 13 of our own code of ethics which specifies journalists should take pictures through fair, straight forward and honest means unless tampered by national interest," he said.
A private legal practitioner, Samson Lardy Anyenini, on the other hand, stated that Caleb committed no crime by filming at the car park of the National Security Ministry, which is reportedly a security zone.
Lardy Anyenini said if journalists will take their cameras, or pens and capture what is being misused or wasted, they are not committing any crime but are simply doing what they have to do.
The National Security Ministry has stated that it has begun investigations into allegations made by Citi News' journalist, Caleb Kudah, that he was assaulted by some National Security operatives.
In response to the arrest of Caleb Kudah and Zoe Abu-Baidoo, the ministry promised to take appropriate steps if the allegations of assault made by Caleb Kudah are found to be true.
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Source: YEN.com.gh
