The Inspector-General of Police (IGP) and the Attorney General have committed to compensating journalist Latif Iddrisu in a long-running legal battle over an alleged police assault that happened eight years ago. The development marks a major turn in a case that has dragged through the courts since 2018.
The issue began in March 2018, when Iddrisu, a well-known journalist, was reportedly attacked by police officers while covering a protest outside the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) headquarters. He later said the assault left him with serious injuries, including a fractured skull, and required medical treatment, including treatment abroad.
On February 17, 2026, during proceedings before the Human Rights Division of the High Court, Senior State Attorney Nancynita Twumasi Asiamah told the court that officials from the Attorney General’s office had been instructed to begin compensation talks with Iddrisu. The aim is to settle the matter out of court in an effort to bring closure after nearly a decade of legal proceedings.
The court heard that a key defence witness did not appear for cross-examination because progress toward a settlement was being made. The attorney asked the court to discontinue the trial while settlement negotiations proceed.
Iddrisu’s lawyer, Sampson Lardie Anyenini, welcomed the renewed effort but asked that the trial continue alongside settlement discussions to protect Iddrisu’s interests in case the settlement talks fall through.
The judge, Eudora Christina Dadson, agreed and gave both sides one month to present terms of settlement to the court. The case was adjourned to April 2, 2026, with the warning that if no settlement terms were brought forward by then, the trial would continue.
The shift toward compensation talks differs from earlier phases of the case when previous police leadership reportedly resisted settlement efforts. The long legal battle has drawn criticism from media freedom advocates who say it highlights issues around accountability, justice and the protection of journalists in Ghana.
