A representative of the Attorney General, Nancyrita Twumasi Asiamah, has told an Accra High Court that the Inspector General of Police (IGP), says he does not want the matter to be settled out of court.
Dr George Akuffo-Dampare will rather prefer that the case continues and is decided by the court.
“Attorney-General has been informed that the Inspector-General of Police and the management of the Ghana Police Service would not settle this matter but prefer the trial to continue,” she stated.
This is in the case in which journalist Latif Idrissu has sued the police service over an alleged assault meted out to him by policemen while he covered a protest at the Police Headquarters.
This development of opting for a trial is a departure from what the AG’s rep had told the court on January 31, 2023.
Mrs Twumasi had at the time indicated that the AG had asked the police to pursue settlement talks.
Lawyers for the journalist led by Samson Lardy Anyenini had urged the court to proceed with the trial as this was not the first time such a move for settlement was being attempted.
The AG’s representative however insisted that her instructions were to engage the police in opting for a settlement.
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The court opted to put the trial on hold to allow for the talks to begin once again.
Mr Anyenini on Monday, April 3, 2023, urged the court to let its records reflect that settlement talks did not break down but rather the police have opted not to settle the matter.
He also urged the court to be open to permitting the use of video links for Latif’s testimony.
He explained that the journalist was unwell and will likely be travelling out of the jurisdiction to seek further medical care.
The case is back in court on May 12, 2023.