Outspoken Member of Parliament for Assin Central, Kennedy Agyapong remains unapologetic over his controversial call for the late investigative journalist Ahmed Suale to be beaten up.
In an interview on Face to Face on Citi TV, Mr Agyapong clarified the context of his statements, explaining that he specifically referred to Suale being confronted within the premises of Net 2 TV.
“I showed the video of Ahmed Suale and when they [ my workers] saw it, my workers came to me and said, Hon. ‘don’t you know this guy, you even gave him 1500 to go and pay his school fees’, then I said you have to be careful, if this guy comes here beat him up because he is going to set this company up,” He told host Umaru Sanda Amadu.
When questioned about any potential regrets over his call, Agyapong firmly stated, “No, not that I want to be president and therefore I will say I didn’t say that, No. I said if he comes to my premises, I didn’t say go and beat him outside…You know Ahmed Suale’s problems, he made a lot of mistakes, and in all the investigations Anas did, Anas never showed his face, so all the people that Anas embarrassed in this country, it was Ahmed Suale who set them up. Suale was the one who set up the Finance Minister up, they never saw Anas’ face.”
Ahmed Suale, 31, an investigative journalist, worked with Tiger Eye PI, the investigative firm established by Anas Aremeyaw Anas, known for its use of undercover journalistic methods to expose corruption and other ills in society.
His murder in Accra in January 2019, sent shock waves across the media landscape and scared many journalists, who openly expressed fear for their lives.
That singular incident changed the face of investigative journalism in the country and suppressed the nation’s long-touted safe environment for the practice of journalism.
It also highlighted other attacks on journalists by a section of the public in the discharge of their duties and amplified discussions on the safety of journalists in the country.
His murder came a few months after Mr Agyapong’s call for him to be beaten.
