On 28 August 1996, “Expo Times” publisher and editor-in-chief Ibrahim Seaga Shaw and news editor Gibril Kroma were arrested and transported to Central Investigation Department (CID) headquarters at Slater Terrace. The arrest followed a two-hour search by ten CID agents who had entered the editorial offices of “Expo Times” with a search warrant granting permission […]
On 28 August 1996, “Expo Times” publisher and editor-in-chief
Ibrahim Seaga Shaw and news editor Gibril Kroma were arrested and
transported to Central Investigation Department (CID)
headquarters at Slater Terrace. The arrest followed a two-hour
search by ten CID agents who had entered the editorial offices of
“Expo Times” with a search warrant granting permission to search
the offices for “subversive documents.” During the search of the
premises, Shaw, Kroma and editor Lance Berry were also ordered to
submit to a search of their persons.
The search and arrests were in connection with a story published
in the 28 August edition of the newspaper entitled “Radio Message
Intercepted: Sankoh Orders War To Re-Start”, which reported on
the interception by the Sierra Leone government of a message from
rebel leader Foday Sankoh of the Revolutionary United Front
(RUF). In the message, Sankoh, now based in Abidjan, Ivory Coast,
instructed his men to begin fighting, effectively putting an end
to the cease fire. During the search, CID agents found and
confiscated an old Auditor General’s report, but failed to
uncover documents related to the article in question.
Kroma was released from CID custody one hour later. Shaw
continues to be detained without charge at CID headquarters where
agents are demanding he make a formal statement. Shaw refuses to
do so until his attorney, Eku Roberts, is present.
