Alhassan Suhuyini, Member of Parliament for Tamale North, has strongly criticized the Minister of Justice and Attorney General, Godfred Yeboah Dame, for comments made regarding the murder of investigative journalist Ahmed Suale during parliamentary proceedings on Tuesday.
Mr Dame, while addressing questions in Parliament, stated that his office had not received any docket fit for prosecution or action regarding Suale's murder. He also suggested that Suale's death may have been linked to activities beyond his journalism work.
Expressing his dismay after parliamentary proceedings, Suhuyini condemned what he perceived as a disregard for the circumstances surrounding Suale's murder. He described the minister's comments as irresponsible, particularly in light of threats and harassment Suale faced prior to his death.
“We know how people sat on TV and threatened him, revealed his identity, and urged for him to be beaten and for the minister to ignore all these circumstances and suggest that his murder may have been something else is very irresponsible,” Suhuyini asserted.
He emphasized the potential chilling effect such remarks could have on journalists, warning that the lack of accountability for Suale's murder sets a dangerous precedent.
“As journalists, we must be worried because it may have been Ahmed Suale in 2019, it could be me or you in 2025, and we may just be told that your death was a result of a family feud or a fight with a trotro driver on the street,” Suhuyini cautioned.
Suhuyini's condemnation underscores broader concerns about the safety and protection of journalists in Ghana, urging authorities to take Suale's murder and its implications seriously.
