(JED/IFEX) – On 29 October 2003 at around noon (local time), Symplice Kalunga wa Kalunga, a journalist and host of the political affairs programme “Nouvelle donne”, which airs on the private television network Channel Media Broadcasting (CMB), was arrested at the network’s headquarters. He was taken in for questioning by police detectives possessing a summons, […]
(JED/IFEX) – On 29 October 2003 at around noon (local time), Symplice Kalunga wa Kalunga, a journalist and host of the political affairs programme “Nouvelle donne”, which airs on the private television network Channel Media Broadcasting (CMB), was arrested at the network’s headquarters. He was taken in for questioning by police detectives possessing a summons, who were accompanied by armed members of the national police.
The journalist was assaulted at the time of arrest, forced into a vehicle and handcuffed while being taken to the Kinshasa/Gombe Public Prosecutor’s Office. Kalunga was then interrogated about a programme broadcast on 23 October during which he spoke with Kudura Kasongo, president of the Front for Social Integration (Front pour l’intégration sociale, FIS), a political party. Kasongo evaluated the government’s first 100 days in power, covering a full range of issues, including the justice system. Kalunga’s interrogators pressed him about whether he acknowledged insulting Justice Minister Kisimba Ngoy during the programme. The journalist did not admit to this, unless one were to consider his guest’s criticism of the justice minister’s actions to be an insult.
The journalist was kept in custody and finally released at 6:00 p.m. after Kasongo turned himself in, saying he took full responsibility for his remarks. The tape containing the programme was seized.
JED denounces the journalist’s unjustified detention and the exploitation of the justice system by Ngoy, who has abused his power as minister.
