The Centre for Democratic Development (CDD) has warned that the National Security Secretariat and their modus operandi need a total overhaul to prevent incidents such as the recent torture and brutalisation of Citi FM/Citi TV journalist Caleb Kudah.
The CDD criticized the Ministry of National Security for what it says was a deliberate minimization of the misconduct of its operatives by describing the criminal assault against Mr. Kudah as merely “inappropriate”.
“This is regrettable, as it does not send the right signal or deterrence to officers of the National Security apparatus. CDD-Ghana would like to implore the Government and the Minister of National Security to see and seize upon this incident as an opportunity to pursue more far-reaching reforms in the National Security apparatus and its operations, as the problem highlighted by the Kudah/Citi case is long-standing, recurring and systemic”, CDD said in a statement.
The Center also indicated it awaits the speedy conclusion of the National Media Commission’s investigations into the complaint filed by Citi FM and Citi TV on this matter.
This latest incident, CDD maintains, highlights the importance of taking seriously the observations and recommendations of the Emile Short Commission.
“It appears that the Minister for National Security has no proper or effective oversight of the operations of the so-called National Security “Secretariat”. Moreover, it is not clear what oversight Parliament has or exercises over the Minister, Ministry, or the National Security Secretariat.”
The Director of Operations of the National Security Secretariat, Lt. Col. Frank Agyeman was sacked following him and his goon squad of vigilante operatives who personally participated in brutalising Caleb Kudah, the CITI FM journalist who had surreptitiously taken pictures and videos intended to expose a deep cover-up by the Microfinance and Small
Loans Centre (MASLOC) for abandoning and leaving to rot dozens of brand
new cars bought with state resources.
Caleb Kudah, who narrated his traumatic ordeal on The Point of View on Citi TV, said he was detained and interrogated for hours on Tuesday,
May 11, 2021, after irate National Security goons had subjected him to
sustained beatings and torture.
“They pushed me and I sat on the chair. They [National Security operatives] slapped me from the back. I was trying to appeal to them that they had beaten me enough, but they were just slapping me from the back. I’ll be talking to another one and someone will just come and slap me from the back.”
They snatched his mobile telephone and deleted the video he had captured. However, the security officers realised he had already forwarded copies to another colleague at CITI FM, so on the instruction of Lt. Col. Agyeman, the goon squad raided the radio station with assault weapons in search of one Zoe Abu-Baidoo, a close colleague of Caleb Kudah.