Ignite Media Group (IMG) has reacted to the widely reported “attack by armed policemen, auctioneer, and bailiff” suffered by its subsidiary Metro TV earlier today.

“The auctioneer, the bailiff together with the armed policemen forcibly broke into the studio when the Good Morning Ghana Programme was live,” IMG said in a Wednesday, November 27, 2024, statement.

“The auctioneer known as George Addo (Director of Geld Mart) then declared an avowed purpose to disrupt the live Good Morning Ghana Programme and, therefore, charged his team to break into the said studio which they did leading to the disruption of the live broadcast of the programme.”

IMG confirmed a private security officer, as reported by the media, had been harmed during the attack.

“This unfortunate situation caused the staff and security officers of Metro TV to resist what we considered to be an improper and irregular attempt to disrupt a live media programme and, thereby, caused fear and panic to the host and panelists. The auctioneer and the armed policemen used excessive force and thence caused head injury to a private security officer detailed at Metro TV and in the process, the programme was abruptly terminated,” IMG said.

The company underlined this attack was not new but reminiscent of another from 2023. It, also, noted the Inspector General of Police (IGP) “personally intervened and dispatched a team of policemen to the premises to enforce law and order,” promising “a thorough investigation and a provision of adequate security at the premises of IMG”.

Read more below:

STATEMENT FROM MANAGEMENT OF IGNITE MEDIA GROUP (IMG) ON ATTACK BY ARMED POLICEMEN, AUCTIONEER AND A BAILIFF

Today November 27, 2024 at about 9:30 AM, an auctioneer, a court bailiff and armed policemen entered the premises of LMG, the operators of Metro TV, Original TV and Original 91.1 FM at North Ridge, Accra and purported to be acting under a court order to execute a judgment against Metro TV.

The auctioneer, the bailiff together with the armed policemen forcibly broke into the studio when the Good Morning Ghana Programme was live. The auctioneer known as George Addo (Director of Geld Mart) then declared an avowed purpose to disrupt the live Good Morning Ghana Programme and, therefore, charged his team to break into the said studio which they did leading to the disruption of the live broadcast of the programme

It is also important to state that last year, the said George Addo (the auctioneer) led a team of masked policemen armed-to-the-teeth in a pickup truck to lay in wait for Dr Randy Abbcy and blocked his vehicle upon his arrival to host the Good Morning Ghana Programme. This attempt last year, among other things, to seize the vehicle of Dr Randy Abbey was orchestrated to execute the same judgment. This effort was aborted when Dr Randy Abbey vehemently resisted the said attempt as the property they sought to attach was his.

This unfortunate situation caused the staff and security officers of Metro TV to resist what we considered to be an improper and irregular attempt to disrupt a live media programme and, thereby, caused fear and panic to the host and panelists. The auctioneer and the armed policemen used excessive force and thence caused head injury to a private security officer detailed at Metro Tv and in the process, the programme was abruptly terminated

This unfortunate situation gained the attention of the Inspector General of Police, Dr George Akuffo Dampare, who personally intervened and dispatched a team of policemen to the premises to enforce law and order. The IGP's team of policemen also instructed the said auctioneer, the bailiff and the armed policemen to leave the premises of IMG. The IGP has assured us of a thorough investigation and a provision of adequate security at the premises of IMG.