Multimedia driver arrested on orders of Accra Mayor says he is traumatized

Felix Akunnor, the MultiTV driver who was arrested Saturday night on the instructions of Accra Mayor, Alfred Oko Vanderpuije, says he is traumatised by the incident.

Narrating his ordeal to Joynews, he said it was the first time a gun was pointed at him and he doubts he will ever forget the incident.

“I was with some of the residents of Mensah Guinea when two policemen came and pointed guns at us. At that time my reporters were inside the community. They told us to raise our hands and they cocked their guns at us. I was then ordered out of the vehicle and the Mayor got out of his vehicle and asked ‘where are your colleagues?’” he added.

Felix said he was then ordered to lock his vehicle and then he was pulled into another vehicle. “They were taking me to Central Police station but they changed their mind”. Mr. Akunnor said the police then allowed him to sit in his Adom TV branded vehicle and followed them to the Ministries Police Station.

“I was shocked disturbed, I did not understand why they arrested me and they also did not allow me to make a phone call”. 

Felix said he was a bit relieved when some managers from MultiTV came to bail him. The incident, he says, has been life-changing. “I could not sleep that night. I have been thinking about the incident since then”.

Later, Joynews reporter and producer Solomon Joojo Cobbinah and Festus Jackson Davies were arrested and charged. The three are under investigation for “offensive conduct”.  This according to the police amounts to “doing something that provokes another party”. The Mayor of Accra Alfred Oko Vanderpujie is the complainant in the case.

The Joynews crew was in the Mensah Guinea community Saturday night 6th September, 2014 to do a story about how the people were coping after city authorities pulled down their unauthorised structures on Friday September 5, 2014.

Solomon Joojo Cobbinah narrates: “We set out at 9pm to tell the story of the people of Mensah Guinea. Some were already moving out their items. So we walked up through the community to find out how the people were living their lives. Many of the people looked pensive and worried. Some were tired and were resting for the day. On tables, chairs and on any surface they found comfortable. Mothers had their babies strapped at the back while resting. Some were just hanging in there trying to put body and soul together. And of course children were also sleeping.”