Joy News’ Latif Iddrisu was attacked by police officer when he was covering a protest
By March 2026, it will be eight years since journalist Latif Iddrisu was allegedly brutalised by police. Yet, the fight for justice shows no sign of ending.
The long-running legal battle between The Multimedia Group journalist and the Inspector General of Police (IGP), alongside the state, is now expected to continue for at least another year.
At the latest court sitting, Senior State Attorney Nancynetta Twumasi Asiamah and Etornam Caleb Affutu—holding brief for the journalist’s lead counsel, Samson Lardy Anyenini—requested additional trial dates.
This followed the State Attorney’s absence on five out of eight prior court dates, a delay that derailed plans to complete cross-examination within that period.
Only two more hearings are scheduled for the rest of 2025, with the next court appearances set for January 2026. That means no resolution before the eighth anniversary of the March 27, 2018, assault.
Thursday’s hearing focused on the initial costs of the journalist’s treatment, the medications prescribed by Ghanaian physicians, and the quantity of drugs administered during his recovery.
Mr Iddrisu provided medication names he could recall. The State Attorney questioned why he has not submitted photos of his injuries as evidence.
The plaintiff responded that the police have refused to release CCTV footage or images from the night of the attack, despite multiple requests from his lawyers and employer.
He said the police claimed their cameras at the CID Headquarters did not capture the incident.
When the State Attorney suggested Mr Iddrisu had failed to describe his attackers, he replied that the police never gave him the chance.
He said he had stated in his report that he could identify at least one officer, but investigators never arranged an identification parade.
When asked by the trial judge when cross-examination would end, the State Attorney said she hoped to conclude on the next court date—April 29, 2025.
But the clock keeps ticking.
Eight years after the alleged assault, the journalist’s struggle continues, marked by court delays, absent evidence, and legal hurdles.
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