(JED/IFEX) – Freddy Loseke Lisumbu La Yayenga, publisher of the Kinshasa-based newspaper “La Libre Afrique”, was arrested on 30 May 2001 and taken to a cell in the Kinshasa/Kalamu Public Prosecutor’s office (parquet de Grande instance) before being transfered on 31 May to the Third Pavilion of Kinshasa’s Penitentiary and Reeducation Centre (CPRK, formerly the […]
(JED/IFEX) – Freddy Loseke Lisumbu La Yayenga, publisher of the Kinshasa-based newspaper “La Libre Afrique”, was arrested on 30 May 2001 and taken to a cell in the Kinshasa/Kalamu Public Prosecutor’s office (parquet de Grande instance) before being transfered on 31 May to the Third Pavilion of Kinshasa’s Penitentiary and Reeducation Centre (CPRK, formerly the Makala Central Prison).
Loseke was arrested while he was on his way to a meeting in the Funa Café that had been arranged by Sony Kafuta, pastor of an evangelical church called “Army of the Eternal”. Loseke is being prosecuted for defaming pastor Kafuta.
Under the byline of Sendwe Mwana Nyenge, “La Libre Afrique” published an article in its 15 mai issue (number 172) entitled: “Insolvency duly established. Soni-Kafuta(ko) of the satanic army owes US$400 to the Major garage on Force Publique avenue”. In terms that border on abuse, the newspaper accused Kafuta of habitually not paying his debts. The example of his US$400 debt accrued for repairs to a vehicle was given, as was another unspecified US$1,000 debt. The newspaper maintains that in order to get out of paying his debts, the pastor allegedly said: “Go ahead and accuse me of anything, I am the brother of the person in power. Nobody will do anything to me.”
JED recalls that Loseke was freed on 4 January, because of a peace-making initiative by President Laurent-Désiré Kabila, after 369 days in jail. The journalist was condemned by the Court of Military Order (COM), an exceptional military court, to three years’ imprisonment for “slandering the army.” At the end of December 1999, “La Libre Afrique” accused army officers of preparing a plot against the president.
