Four days ago, gun-wielding operatives stormed the office of Modern Ghana, arrested and strapped the heads of two of the staff in black polythene bags.
Three days after, they have been released the revelations are shameful. They were tortured to reveal the sources of news published about the Minister in Charge of National Security, Albert Kan Dapaah and Afenyo Merkins, MP of Efutu.
Even though according to the National Security, they were arrested on suspicion of hacking into email servers of other news agencies including Myjoyonline. Funny enough, there is no record of joy making a report to this effect.
Why should this happen in 21st Century Ghana?
I have dealt with Modern Ghana News Portal for the best part of the last decade, all the three editors are friends with two really personal.
Ajafor and Eric were friends with whom I used to attend programs until I left mainstream and then they eventually moved to Moder Ghana.
As far as I know, these guys know as much IT as I do, just basics, nothing technical. For Ajafor, he joined as a deputy editor just about 6th months ago with zero ICT background.
I am therefore at a loss as to how such people could be accused of hacking. I thought it took IT gurus to hack into systems of other people?
But that is not even the case, upon their arrest, they were not interrogated on anything relating to hacking but on an article they published about the Minister In Charge of National Security and MP for Efutu, Afenyo Marlins.
They were made to delete two of the said articles. There is no record of any media house reporting about the hacking of their emails and the interception of their news.
Modern Ghana is a news hub, most of their news are whole-lifted, published and in most cases, the sources are duly credited. They deal with individual writers and news organisations. Like Ghanaweb, from myjoyonline to peacefmonline, almost every media house send their news there for extra exposure.
Why’d they in view of this hack into systems of other news sources to intercept their news?
To achieve what?
It was all about dealing with them for the publications about the Minister, that is why it was only what featured in the interrogation and they were forced to remove the said articles.
The two arrested have alleged that they were tortured and even had their manhood exposed to electric shocked. Until the national security response, I’m taking it as the truth.
Truth is, even without it, the manner of their arrest and detention is shameful enough
How did we get here, how can we go through this from a party and by extension a government that credit itself for bringing extra freedom to the press?
NPP under President Akufo-Addo has become intolerant bunch with no regard for press freedom and majoring in vindictiveness.
Last year, world press freedom day was celebrated here without the Ghana Journalist Association President given the opportunity to speak in this country because of perception that he is leaned towards the NDC.
Today, do a story about any NPP guru and the next thing is that they will start frustrating you with court actions. They don’t go to court for justice, they go to detail you because they fear further expose.
Their first request from the court is to ban you from doing further stories on the said issue.
I’m in court with one who frustrated and wasted my time for almost a year only to bring the case to a halt under the guise of looking for another suspect.
No government in the history of Ghana was criticised than the previous NDC government, in fact, President Mahama was at the heart of scathing reports but they responded better.
Just use Manasseh Azure as an example, this is one journalist who practically pushed NDC down, he is the reason Abuga is in prison, the source of SADA Azontaba and Ford Explorer Scandal but how many times did he find cause to fear for his life?
He just talked about a vigilante group training in Castle, a story that was substantially true and yet needed a break for fear of his safety.
If these things are happening on the blindside of our president, the man sold to us as a human right lawyer, then he should sit up.
How can you be completely in control when you have a government of 126 ministers?
This is enough for Hon Albert Kan Dapaa, a man I so much admired until the last few days to resign.
If our president does not act on this, then we sure are in a banana republic.
At the heart of this nonsense is the National Security, an agency used for upgrading party vigilantes. When it got to forcing a kidnapper to talk, they were clueless but to reveal who wrote a story about their boss, they were willing to kill for it
Silly old men
Isaac Kyei Andoh
