Posted: Daily Guide |Tuesday, 13 July 2010
By Charles Takyi-Boadu
A reporter of The Insight newspaper who went to the Adjirigano private residence of former President Jerry John Rawlings with his colleague to take shots of the building was picked up by men suspected to be security details of the former president.
The two journalists, Dauda Mohammed and Duke Tagoe, had gone to the place to take the picture of the building as part of a story they were doing regarding the ‘homelessness’ of the former first couple.
But minutes after they arrived at the scene and attempted to take pictures of the building, Duke, who escaped the arrest, narrated that a vehicle which had been patrolling the area pulled up and ordered his colleague, Dauda, to enter.
The former President has dissociated himself from the alleged abduction. As at press time, Dauda had been freed.
Obviously aware of the danger that awaited him, Dauda, who is a photojournalist, declined the unsolicited offer of entering the house and took to his heels whilst the vehicle and its occupants, suspected to be agents of the Rawlingses, pursued him into a nearby bush where he was allegedly captured and dragged on the ground.
Duke said a BMW with registration number GW 8180 R took Dauda to an unknown destination whilst he (Duke) managed to escape to report the incident at the East-Legon Police Station.
Duke said he suspected the former first couple had a hand in the capture of his colleague although they denied any involvement in it.
It is believed that the two journalists went to Adjirigano to take pictures of the building to do a story about the unfolding events concerning the accommodation issue of the Rawlingses, after former First Lady Nana Konadu Agyemang Rawlings had told the whole world that they were looking for a place to rent due to government’s supposed inability to provide them with a suitable shelter after their house was razed down by fire on February 14.
Managing Editor of the newspaper Kwesi Pratt Jnr. expressed dismay at the development.
He told DAILY GUIDE yesterday that he could not fathom why a journalist would be prevented from taking shots of a building which had not been designated as a security zone.
He therefore did not see the wisdom in anybody saying his reporters should have taken permission from the owners of the building before attempting to take the pictures since, according to him, they did not enter the house but attempted to take the pictures from the street.
Meanwhile, the office of Mr. Rawlings has denied having anything to do with the incident.
Spokesman for the former President Kofi Adams was on various radio stations yesterday defending the Rawlingses, saying that no such incident took place at the Adjirigano house.
He claimed the story was a fabricated one, adding that any attempt to ridicule or put the Rawlingses in a bad light would backfire.
A statement put out by the office later expressed surprise at the story, stating “no one within the residence has accosted any intruder or passerby and any attempt to link persons in the residence to an alleged assault is a blatant lie and mischievous.”
The statement said “the caretaker who was the only person within the premises has reported no incident whatsoever and confirmed that he is unaware of any incident taking place within the environs of the house. He has been within the premises performing his duties and has not ventured outside.”
Almost five years ago, Wednesday July 27, 2005, Mr Pratt went to take his memorable ‘just-one-shot’ of the African Regent hotel which was a subject of a controversy near President John Kufuor's private residence at Airport West.
He however did not take the shot from the entrance of the hotel, which would have meant walking on the main road to the president's house.
The Police had built a heavy presence in the area prior to the midday deadline Mr. Pratt had issued. He took the shot from the top of the railway bridge near the Shangri La Hotel with no molestation whatsoever.