Police Officer Faces Assault Charges Over Journalist Attack in Ablekuma North Rerun
Accra, July 18, 2025 – The Accra Regional Police Command has formally charged a police officer with assault following a viral video capturing the officer slapping a GHOne TV journalist, Kwabena Agyekum Banahene, during the Ablekuma North parliamentary rerun on July 11, 2025.
The incident, which occurred at the Church of Pentecost, North Odorkor Polling Station 2, sparked widespread condemnation and raised concerns about press freedom and police conduct during elections.
In a press release dated July 17, 2025, signed by Superintendent Juliana Boateng, Head of Public Affairs for the Accra Region, the police confirmed that the officer, previously interdicted and withdrawn from election duties, now faces criminal charges for assault.
“In line with due process, the Police Officer captured in one of the videos, assaulting a journalist who was interdicted, has been held for criminal charges of assault,” the statement read. The officer has also been referred to the Police Professional Standards Bureau (PPSB) for further disciplinary action.
The police are actively reviewing multiple videos of violent incidents during the rerun to identify all individuals involved, including those responsible for assaults on other journalists and former Fisheries Minister Mavis Hawa Koomson. “The command has progressed to obtain statements from complainants and witnesses to aid in the ongoing investigations,” the release noted, adding that “vital leads” have been gathered, with arrests expected soon.
Victims, including Agyekum, have been issued Police Medical Report Forms to document their injuries.
The Ablekuma North rerun, held across 19 polling stations to resolve irregularities from the December 2024 election, was marred by chaos, including assaults on journalists and political figures. The Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) condemned the attacks, with President Albert Kwabena Dwumfour calling the assault on Agyekum and JoyNews reporter Salomey Martey “brutal and unprovoked,” demanding criminal prosecution and describing assault as a “second-degree felony.”
Agyekum, who sustained facial injuries allegedly exacerbated by his glasses during the slap, recounted being singled out by the officer despite other journalists being present. “He just came to approach me that I should leave the premises. Meanwhile, there were other media guys at the premises; he didn’t ask anybody else to leave,” he told Adom FM’s Dwaso Nsem. The GJA noted that Agyekum has filed an official complaint and sought medical treatment.
The police have urged the public to provide information via emergency numbers 18555 or 191 to assist investigations, reaffirming their commitment to holding all perpetrators accountable. The rerun, won by the National Democratic Congress’s Ewurabena Aubynn over the New Patriotic Party’s Nana Akua Owusu Afriyie, highlighted ongoing tensions, with additional reports of fake security personnel arrests and violence at polling stations.
The incident has fueled calls for reforms to ensure journalist safety and improve police conduct during elections, with the GJA vowing to pursue justice for the affected reporters. For updates on the investigation, contact the Accra Regional Police Command or visit www.ghana.police.gov.gh.
