A Ghana Police Service officer has been formally charged with criminal assault after being caught on video physically attacking a journalist during the parliamentary rerun election in the Ablekuma North constituency.
The incident, which occurred on Friday, July 11, 2025, drew widespread public outrage and was widely shared on social media. In response, the officer was immediately interdicted and withdrawn from election duties. He has since been referred to the Police Professional Standards Bureau (PPSB) for further investigations.
A statement signed by Superintendent Juliana Obeng, Head of Public Affairs for the Greater Accra Region, confirmed that the officer is now facing criminal charges following a review of the footage and initial inquiries.
“In line with due process, the police officer captured in one of the videos assaulting a journalist has been interdicted and held for criminal charges of assault,” the statement read.
Incident Details
The officer was seen in a viral video slapping GHOne TV journalist Kwabena Agyekum Banahene at the Church of Pentecost, North Odorkor Polling Station 2, where Banahene was covering the election in an official capacity.
Eyewitnesses and reports indicate that Banahene, who was wearing clearly identifiable press attire, was ordered to leave the premises by the officer. Despite explaining that he was there on official media duty, the officer struck him in the face.
The attack has been condemned by media advocacy groups, civil society organisations, and the general public, who have called for swift justice and stronger protections for journalists operating in the line of duty.
