ACCRA – The Madina District Court discharged Daniel Owusu Koranteng, the prime suspect in the 2019 murder of investigative journalist Ahmed Hussein-Suale, on Tuesday after the Attorney General’s Department filed a notice to discontinue all proceedings against him.
Presided over by Her Worship Susan D. Nyakotey, the court accepted the prosecution’s request without taking a plea, formally releasing the 35-year-old businessman who had been in custody since his arrest on March 15, 2025. Koranteng, managing director of ISPY Company, faced charges of murder and abetment of crime for allegedly guiding two unidentified assailants to Suale’s Madina residence on January 16, 2019, where he was shot twice in the neck and chest by motorbike-riding gunmen.
The decision follows multiple court appearances marked by delays, including bail denials in March and April 2025, as prosecutors amended charges and facts based on ongoing investigations. Call records placed Koranteng near the scene before and after the killing, and he was accused of fleeing to the United Kingdom in 2019 before returning to Ghana. No reason was provided for dropping the case, though the prosecution cited legal advice from the Attorney General’s office.
Suale, 34, was a key undercover operative for Tiger Eye PI, led by Anas Aremeyaw Anas, whose exposés on corruption in Ghanaian football and public institutions drew threats. His death, days after former Assin Central MP Kennedy Agyapong broadcast Suale’s image on Net2 TV and urged attacks against him, sparked outrage over press freedom. Agyapong, now an opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) stalwart, denied involvement but faced backlash.
The case’s dismissal has reignited criticism of Ghana’s handling of journalist killings. Rights groups like the Media Foundation for West Africa condemned the outcome as a “setback for justice,” noting over 50 threats against Anas’ team post-2015 “Number 12” documentary. Tiger Eye PI issued a statement vowing to pursue private investigations, while the Committee to Protect Journalists called for renewed probes into the unsolved murder.
Under President John Dramani Mahama’s administration, which pledged media protection after taking office in January 2025, the government faces scrutiny amid its anti-corruption “Operation Recover All Loot” initiative. Interior Minister Henry Quartey reaffirmed commitment to the case but provided no timeline for further action.
Suale’s killing remains one of Ghana’s most high-profile unsolved crimes, underscoring risks for investigative journalism in a nation ranked 73rd on the 2024 World Press Freedom Index. Families and advocates demand accountability to deter future attacks.
