Accra High Court has ordered the Inspector General of Police (IGP), the National Security Coordinator and the Attorney General to apologize and compensate the Editor of the Modernghana, Emmanuel Ajafor Abugri, with a measure of GH¢40,000 for violating his common liberties.
Mr. Ajarfor sued the three state actors after he was arrested by armed national security operatives for supposedly making publications against National Security Minister, Albert Kan Dapaah.
He blamed the national security for torture following the arrest and subsequently sued the three respondents for denial of basic liberties.
The settlement agreement, according to Citi News, also instructed the respondents to cater for the legal fees of Emmanuel Ajarfor to the tune of GH₵10,000 and also replace the HP laptop, two mobile phones, and one Huawei tablet which was seized at the time of the arrest.
The three state actors were named as respondents in Emmanuel Ajarfor Abugri’s claim against them in July 2019 for violating his common liberties.
Within 14 days after the states of the judgment’s adoption, the court ordered that the respondents should apologize to the petitioner and have that apology published in the Daily Graphic.
At their offices on June 27, 2019, Emmanuel Ajarfor Abugri and his reporter Emmanuel Britwum were detained by armed National Security specialists.
The police immediately put them into a dark vehicle, set dark plastic sacks over their heads, and drove off.
Their mobile phones and computers were removed, and they were questioned at National Security headquarters.
Emmanuel Ajarfor Abugri, the Editor of the online news portal, Modernghana.com, subsequently informed the media he was exposed to electric shock and other types of torture whiles in custody.
READ: Ghana Revenue Authority Aims High In 2023, More Plans For Ghanaians
The two pieces the website published about National Security Minister, Albert Kan Dapaah, were the subject of the investigation.