“Key suspect” arrested in Ghanaian journalist’s murder | RSF

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) welcomes the announced arrest of a “key suspect” in Ghanaian journalist Ahmed Hussein-Suale’s murder in January and calls on the authorities to pursue their investigation to the end in order to shed all possible light on the reporter’s shocking death.

Announcing the arrest on Monday, April 1st, Ghanaian Criminal Investigations Department director Maame Tiwaa Addo-Danquah did not name the suspect or say when he was arrested, according to a report by Ghana’s Citi News Roo

But she said the police had questioned 13 people in the course of their investigation, including Kennedy Agyapong, a parliamentarian who had threatened Hussein-Suale, and Anas Aremeyaw Anas, a journalist who heads TigerEye PI, the team of investigative journalists for which he worked.

“We welcome this announcement and urge the Ghanaian authorities to press on until the end,” said Assane Diagne, the head of RSF’s West Africa office. “The perpetrators and instigators of this crime must be identified and punished in accordance with gravity of their acts. This is the only way to render justice to the victim and to combat press freedom’s enemies.”

Shot by individuals on a motor-cycle as he was driving his car in Accra on 16 January, Hussein-Suale had helped produce a documentary about Ghanaian soccer corruption that was first screened in June 2018. Little concern was shown in Ghana when threats were made against him and other members of the Tiger Eye team that made the documentary.

Agyapong, a member of Ghana’s ruling party, had threatened Hussein-Suale on NET 2 TV, a TV channel run by his wife. As a photo of Hussein-Suale was displayed on screen, Agyapong said: “This Ahmed, you all know he lives in Madina. When you see him, beat him.”

Ghana is ranked 23rd out of 180 countries in RSF’s 2018 World Press Freedom Index.