General News of Saturday, 16 March 2019Source: 3news.comAssault on journalists: CHRAJ wants police officers prosecuted, rejects service enquiryPolice have come under scrutiny following an attack on some journalistsThe Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) is calling for the prosecution of police officers who allegedly assaulted journalists from the Ghanaian Times newspaperAccording to the human rights agency, news about the assault was received with “great exasperation”. A statement issued by Commissioner of CHRAJ, Joseph Whittal, showed the frustration of CHRAJ having cautioned the police service “over and over again” to exercise restraint when handling human beings “but to no avail”. “The Commission recommends prosecution of these errant police officers in a court of competent jurisdiction and not to put them through administrative Service disciplinary enquiry to serve as deterrent to others and to reassure Ghanaians that police officers are not above the law”. Citing Article 15 (1) and (2) of the 1992 Constitution, the CHRAJ boss said the “use of excessive and unreasonable force by the police is clear evidence of human rights violation”. The Commissioner has also recommended that the victims should be compensated for the injuries, trauma and losses suffered.

Source: GhanaWeb March 16, 2019 16:07 UTC