The Modern Ghana journalist Emmanuel Britwum who was picked up and detained by operatives of National Security Council last week maintains he was never tortured by the operatives there.
Lawyer for the journalist, Debora Asabere-Ameyaw in a statement said claims by a private legal practitioner that her client was tortured have all been denied by the journalist.
“Mr Emmanuel Britwum hereby denies categorically each and every allegation leveled against him in a purported statement by A-Partners@Law (Mr Anyenini’s law firm).
“It is his case that he has never engaged any law firm or any individual from that firm. He has never made any statement to the effect that he was tortured for which reason same was to be circulated in the media,” the statement signed by her said.
Emmanuel Britwum has denied the alleged torture for the second time.
The denial came after Lawyer Samson Laady Anyenini who was part of a legal team put together by the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) after the duo were picked up said the journalist had corroborated his editor Emmanuel Ajafor Abugri’s account of events while they were in detention.
According to Mr Anyenini, “I asked him more than five times,” the lawyer recalled his interaction with his now former client. Mr Lardy said he gave this testimony in the presence of lawyers, journalists and friends.
“I am learning for the first time that he has gone to get another lawyer…. It is strange that some lawyer has surfaced and claimed he was not tortured,” Mr Anyenini said on Joy FM’s Newsnight, Wednesday.
In his second denial, again through his lawyer, Britwum denies ever confirming the allegations levelled by his editor while speaking to Mr Anyenini.
The lawyer said her client, as a trained journalist, is fully aware of the ethics of his profession and would not take advantage of situations to embarrass state institutions “as he is not an opportunist.”
The statement added “he maintains his innocence of the charges preferred against him.”
Below is a copy of the full statement:
