“This last August could have marked the one-year anniversary of my passing. I could have died on August 4th last year.”
These were the words of P.A.V. Ansah Journalist of the Year 2023, Edward Adeti, as he recounted his near-death experience while working on his award-winning story, “Stealing from the Sick.”
Speaking to A1 Radio’s Mark Smith on the Day Break Upper East Show, Mr. Adeti explained that while he had received threats due to the impact of his work, there were no experiences as close as being accosted by heavily armed police officers who were intercepting the illicit drug trade involving some officials of the Upper East Regional Hospital.
Mr. Adeti recounted that he had been monitoring officials of the hospital engaged in the crime and had brought the police in on his investigation through a trusted CID officer, whose name he did not disclose. Through this CID officer, a police task force was assembled to help Mr. Adeti apprehend the culprits. None of the other police officers on the ad-hoc team were aware of Mr. Adeti’s role.
On the night of the arrest, Mr. Adeti coordinated the movement of the heavily armed police team to the location where the crime was being committed. He said that while the police were arresting the culprits, he emerged from a bush where he was hiding and began filming.
The police officers, taken by surprise by his unexpected appearance and unaware of who he was, accosted him.
“The threat came when the police finally arrived. I was communicating only with the CID officer. As soon as they arrived to make the arrests, I came out of my hiding place, filming the action. These were well-armed officers, and they pointed their guns at me. They did not anticipate my presence. They hooked me up by my belt. In fact, I have never been restrained like that before. The risk was high; coming out could have led them to shoot on sight, thinking I had come to impede their operations or attack them,” he said.
According to the award-winning journalist, the situation became even murkier when individuals identified as star witnesses began to die, one confirmed through autopsy to have been poisoned.
Currently, the culprits are still in court, hoping to reach a plea arrangement with the Attorney General, Mr. Adeti said.
The journalist with Media Without Borders was honored as the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) P.A.V. Ansah Journalist of the Year 2023 during the 28th GJA Media Awards held on Saturday, September 28, 2024.
Mr. Adeti received this prestigious award for his groundbreaking investigative piece, “Stealing from the Sick,” which uncovered the mystery behind drug shortages at the Upper East Regional Hospital and exposed a syndicate whose actions may have cost lives. His remarkable contributions to journalism, particularly in investigative reporting, have significantly impacted Ghana’s media landscape, earning him a reputation for fearless and thorough reporting that often exposes corruption and misconduct in both the public and private sectors.
Osman Abadoo, a journalist with Accra-based Radio Gold, was accompanied by Isaac Asare of the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation and William Nlanjerbor Jalulah, Upper East Regional Chairman of the Ghana Journalists Association, to collect the award on behalf of Mr. Adeti.
“It is something we are most proud of. Being from the Upper East Region, it is not an easy achievement, and my people would be proud that today, someone from the Upper East Region is receiving this award,” Mr. Abadoo said on behalf of Mr. Adeti.
Source: A1Radioonline.Com | 101.1 MHz | Mark Kwasi Ahumah Smith | Bolgatanga |
