National Security on ‘fishing expedition’ - Samson Lardy

Lawyer for the aggrieved ModernGhana journalists Samson Lardy Anyenini says the national security is on expedition for offences to hold against the media men in court.

According to him, the police made him and his colleagues who are representing Emmanuel Ajorfor Abugri, Editor of online news portal ModernGhana and his colleague, wait several hours at the police station when they invited them over the case.

Speaking to Francis Abban on the Morning Starr Wednesday, Mr. Lardy said people imbued with powers of the state must not be allowed to abuse the citizenry without consequences.

“They are now on fishing expedition trying to find something. They were questioned over those publications and who the author was. They had perceived they had written those articles under pseudo names,” he told Francis Abban on the Morning Starr Wednesday.

Abugri, who was released on Saturday 29 June 2019 said they were tortured and beaten by National Security operatives while in detention following a raid of their office and their subsequent arrest. Abugri and his colleague were arrested for “engaging in cyber-crimes.”

“When we were picked up, we were taken to a place for questioning. When it so happens that my answers were unfavourable to them, I was slapped. I was slapped severally,” he told Morning Starr Host Francis Abban on Tuesday.

“I was abused and tortured by the National Security Operatives. My friend, I cried like a baby.”

The National Security, however, denied physically abusing the duo, describing the claims “clear and deliberate” attempt by the suspect to discredit the investigations and the case against him.

“Torture and manhandling of suspects are not part and parcel of the culture and architecture of the secretariat under the administration of President Akufo-Addo,” a statement from National Security said.