Sources
Committee to Protect Journalists
Ahmed Hussein-Suale Divela was shot in the neck and chest by unknown assailants while he was driving in Accra on the evening of 16 January 2019. He died immediately.
Ahmed Hussein-Suale, known for his use of hats and colourful veils to protect his identity, was a renowned investigative journalist who worked tirelessly to expose corruption in Ghana.
Ahmed had helped produce a major documentary on Ghanaian soccer corruption that was broadcast in June 2018. The widespread indifference to the ensuing wave of threats against several Tiger Eye journalists was condemned by RSF (Reporters Without Borders) at the time. Those making the threats included ruling party parliamentarian Kennedy Agyapong, who said Anas should be “hanged.” Agyapong also called for Hussein-Suale to be murdered during an appearance on a TV channel run by his wife, NET 2 TV. While a photo of Hussein-Suale was displayed on screen, Agyapong said: “This Ahmed, you all know he lives in Madina. When you see him, beat him.”
According to Sammy Darko, a lawyer for Tiger Eye Private Investigations who spoke with the Committee to Protect Journalists, “local witnesses had noticed the two killers—one heavily built and one slim—waiting for hours in Madina before they attacked. The heavier one pulled the trigger, Darko said. The killers escaped on the motorcycle”.
In a statement the UN experts: Mr. David Kaye (USA), Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression; Ms Agnes Callamard (France), Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions; Mr. Clément Nyaletsossi Voule (Togo), Special Rapporteur on the rights to peaceful assembly and of association., said, “When political leaders brand journalists as ‘evil’ or ‘dangerous’, they incite hostility towards them and denigrate their work in the eyes of the public. Such statements have a direct impact on journalists’ safety and create a hazardous working environment for them.”