The state has questioned the Multimedia Group journalist, Latif Iddrisu’s decision to seek medical treatment in California, USA, suggesting he lacked a proper referral from any local medical facility in the ongoing legal battle with the Inspector General of Police (IGP) and the Attorney General (AG).
During cross-examination on Monday, Senior State Attorney Nancynetta Twumasi Asiamah argued that the evidence submitted by Latif Iddrisu through his lawyers does not include any referral to either Loma Linda University Medical Center or the Southern California Brain Center, where he underwent rehabilitation.
The state’s legal team has spent the past seven years attempting to undermine the journalist’s claims that he was brutally assaulted by officers of the Ghana Police Service in March 2018 at the headquarters of the Criminal Investigations Department.
However, medical records showed that indeed the journalist had his skull fractured and was suffering from some complications.
The state continues to argue that no police officer assaulted the journalist, despite Latif’s consistent testimony and medical records suggesting otherwise.
In a surprising turn, the Attorney General in 2023 informed the court that it had advised the IGP to settle the matter out of court by compensating the journalist.
Yet, when the case resumed, the AG reported that the then IGP, Dr. George Akuffo Dampare, had declined to settle and preferred for the case to proceed through the judicial system.
The state appears to be attempting to distance itself from the alleged assault, albeit inconsistently, in an apparent effort to avoid taking responsibility for the journalist’s injuries.
Meanwhile, Latif Iddrisu and his employer remain resolute in their pursuit of justice, seeking a ruling that holds the Ghana Police Service accountable for its actions.
In a bid to expedite proceedings, the current judge, the third to handle the case since its filing in 2019, allotted ten hearing days for April alone.
However, due to the unavailability of the Attorney General’s representative on several scheduled dates, seven of those hearing days have already been lost.
The case is scheduled to resume on Thursday, April 17, 2025, with Senior State Attorney Nancynetta Twumasi Asiamah expected to continue her cross-examination of Latif Iddrisu.
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