A journalist received a threatening call after reporting that a municipality inflated the price of machinery it had purchased.
(IPYS/IFEX) – On 31 August 2009, “Diario Últimas Noticias” journalist Elías Asmat Goicochea said that he received a threatening call warning him that he would be killed if he continued to report on the alleged inflation of the price of machinery bought by the Municipality of Pacasmayo, La Libertad region, in northern Peru.
The story, which was published in the print and online editions of the newspaper ( http://www.ultimasnoticiasdiario.com ), pointed out that the municipality invested 354,000 nuevos soles (approx. US$118,000) in the purchase of Chinese machinery that appears to be second-hand, contrary to what the authorities had claimed.
The paper’s information was also broadcast by Radio Satélite. Santos Torres Gómez, a journalist who works for the radio station, interviewed the mayor, a city councilor and Asmat Goicochea about the matter.
The journalist received the death threat after the interview was broadcast on Radio Satélite.
IPYS expresses concern over the threat against Asmat Goicochea and calls on the authorities to provide protection for the journalist so that he may continue to carry out his work.
