Ketu North Lawmaker, Edem Agbana has criticised the conduct of some of the Police officers in the way they handle affairs in the country.
He makes the point that if this is not checked, it will cast a shadow over the Mahama administration. He called on the Inspector General of Police to act immediately.
His comment followed the arrest of a suspect for alleged publication of false news.
On Thursday, November 20, the Ghana Police Service, with support from the National Signals Bureau (NSB), arrested suspect Samuel Amadotor for alleged malicious publication of false information. According to the Police, this was after a complaint against him by Mr. Okatakye Boakye Danquah Ababio I.
The Police said in a statement that upon interrogation, the suspect admitted to the offence and mentioned one Chairman Michael Yeboah as the one who contracted him to make the false publication.
“The said Chairman Michael Yeboah is being sought to assist the investigation. Meanwhile, the suspect is in custody and will be put before the court tomorrow, 21st November, 2025,” the statement said.
Prior to the Police’s statement, a journalist Ansah-Addo Halifax, had written on Facebook about the arrest.
Halifax said “Sammy Amedetor, editor of Dklassgh.com. He was picked at 3am from his bed, handcuffed and sent to Signals Bureau last Friday. Questions centered mainly on who gave him the video he published and later pulled it down. He was released around 11pm same Friday and asked to report back to Signals Bureau on Tuesday. He did.
“Since Tuesday, he is still LOCKED at the Ministry of Police station as I type. Since when did not disclosing a source became a crime?”
Following this, investigative journalist Manasseh Azure Awuni in a post on his Facebook post said ” Why have you [Police] not put him before the court for this long? Why tomorrow, and not earlier? Some sources close to him say he has been in custody for more than 48 hours. What law allows you to keep a suspect for this long without putting him before the court?”
He further called for the repeal of the law on false news.
“THIS LAW ON FALSE NEWS SHOULD BE REPEALED. If the person who made the report feels defamed, he can sue the journalist. This law has been abused for too long and we must stop it,” he said.
Reacting to this development, Edem Agban wrote on Facebook that “It should not take an intel or an inquiry from Manasseh Azure Awuni for us to know the circumstances surrounding the arrest of a journalist or blogger.
“The overzealousness, unprofessionalism and incompetence of some security officers can cast a shadow over this government. This morning, I had an altercation with the Volta Regional Police Commander over his UNPROFESSIONAL handling of an issue in my constituency. The IGP must be told to handle these issues properly. Some of us will never be so comfortable and blinded by power as to assume that all of a sudden, ALL these police officers are acting in the national interest.
“If you arrest a journalist, issue a statement and let the public know what is happening. The president is a friend to the media and we must never allow someone’s incompetence give him a bad name. Don’t wait for people to blame the President and the government before you speak.”
