The Ghana Journalists Association (GJA), led by its President, Mr. Dwumfuor Albert, have paid a courtesy call on the Chief of the Defence Staff (CDS), Lieutenant General (Lt Gen) William Agyapong on Wednesday 13 August 2025 at the General Headquarters.

The visit aimed to extend condolences and express solidarity with the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) following the recent tragic helicopter crash incident.

Mr. Albert conveyed the sympathies of the Association over the loss, acknowledging the significant impact on the military and the nation at large. He appealed the GAF to provide periodic updates on the ongoing investigations to counter misinformation and disinformation as a means to maintain public confidence. He stressed that accurate and timely communication is essential in preserving the integrity of the investigative process.

Mr Dwumfour implored media practitioners to exercise restraint in their reportage, cautioning that speculations could undermine operational security while compromising operational and investigative efforts. Additionally, he appealed to the media to avoid encouraging images and comments that do not dignify the memory of the deceased patriots while offending the sensibilities of grieving families..

The GJA President used the opportunity to bemoan incidents of harrassments and assaults meted out to journalists and media men. He petitioned for speedy investigations into reported cases of assault and the subsequent findings and sanctions communicated to victims and the GJA.

He reaffirmed the Association’s readiness to collaborate with the Armed Forces in safeguarding national security, noting that the media remains a strategic partner in national development.

The CDS expressed gratitude for the visit and the Association’s show of solidarity. He assured them of GAF’s commitment to transparency and due diligence of investigations into the crash . Narrating series of events and actions that happened on 6 Aug 25 , he stated that preliminary investigations were almost at a conclusive stage. He confirmed the retrieval of the anti-crash recorder and emphasised that investigations have gone beyond national levels to international collaborations with experts and manufacturers.

On issues of harassment and assaults, the CDS expressed an unreserved apology on behalf of GAF indicating that cases of assault and abuse to journalists and by extent to civilians are not condoned or sanctioned by high command. He intimated that GAF will take measures to give closure to investigations conducted by communicating findings and sanctions to the victims involved. He also added that, sanctions would be meted out in accordance with the code of service discipline to any personnel found culpable. He reaffirmed the need for prompt communication by announcing plans for an upcoming press conference to officially present the sequence of events and current status of the investigation to the general public..