JoyNews’ Erastus Asare Donkor has noted that, some of the armed men who attacked him and three of his colleagues, while they were covering illegal mining activities in the Ashanti Region, have been arrested and will be put before the court soon.
Speaking on JoyNews’ Newsfile on Saturday, October 26, Erastus said, “They [Police] have not given us the names of the arrested perpetrators, but we were asked by the police to identify them, and we were able to identify them. They were part of the gang, and the police said the perpetrators came to the station voluntarily before being arrested.”
He added, “As of this [Saturday] morning when I spoke with a police officer, one DSP Gyan, he mentioned that they are preparing the suspects for court.”
According to Erastus, the suspects were arrested on Monday, October 21, 2024, but the police did not specify the exact date for their trial.
“The Police said they have granted them bail and are preparing them for court. When I asked which date they would appear, they said that on Monday, they would go to the Bekwai court to set a trial date. I initially thought they were arraigning them on Monday, but they clarified that they would only be scheduling the date at the Bekwai court.”
Erastus also mentioned that his equipment was seized by the attackers, and he is calling for assistance to retrieve the items, which include a drone, camera, and memory cards.
“We are looking for justice. Secondly, we want our items returned,” he said.
“Those drone batteries, the tablets, are very expensive for common journalists like us. We bought them with our own money, and we need them back,” he told the host, Samson Lardy Anyenini.
According to him, the team was confronted by armed men while filming farmlands and water bodies ravaged by illegal mining.
The attackers, allegedly protecting Edelmetallum Mining’s operations, seized the journalists and their equipment at gunpoint, before transporting them to a remote forest location.
There, the journalists endured a violent assault, sustaining injuries, including swollen eyes and ear trauma, before the assailants deleted all collected footage and abandoned the team.
The journalists later reported the incident at the Manso Edubia Police Station and sought medical treatment at Agroyesum Hospital.
Their attackers claimed to be acting on orders from the mining company’s owner, according to the team’s report.
Despite the ordeal, Mr Donkor emphasised his team’s commitment to reporting on critical environmental issues, acknowledging the high costs of equipment such as drones, which they currently rent.
He stressed the need for strengthened security measures, stating, “We only have to be more careful… but definitely, it’s not a job that we intend to quit.” Meanwhile, the case is currently under police investigation after three people were arrested.
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