(CPJ/IFEX) – On 14 April 1998, Ibrahim B. Kargbo, managing editor of the weekly independent newspaper “Citizen”, and Hilton Fyle, managing director of WBIG (FM 103) and a former BBC Network Africa Service presenter, were charged with treason in the Magistrate’s Court in Freetown. The journalists appeared before Justice Mrs. Claudia Taylor at 10:30 a.m. […]
(CPJ/IFEX) – On 14 April 1998, Ibrahim B. Kargbo, managing editor of the
weekly
independent newspaper “Citizen”, and Hilton Fyle, managing director of WBIG
(FM
103) and a former BBC Network Africa Service presenter, were charged with
treason in the Magistrate’s Court in Freetown. The journalists appeared
before Justice Mrs. Claudia Taylor at 10:30 a.m.
**New case and updates IFEX alert of 1 April 1998**
Sierra Leone Broadcasting Service (SLBS) director Gipu Felix George, former
on-air broadcaster Dennis Smith, and newscaster Olivia Mensah also appeared
in
court on 14 April 1998, but did not enter any pleas on their previous
treason charges.
As they have not yet entered pleas, all five journalists will appear again
in the Magistrate’s Court on 21 April 1998. Treason is a capital punishment
charge. It is expected that the cases will be transferred to the High Court
in the coming month, where the proceedings are expected to take
approximately two to three months before a decision is made.
Background Information
On 30 March 1998, Gipu Felix George, director of SLBS under the junta of
Captain Johnny Paul Koroma, Dennis Smith, a former SLBS director, and Olivia
Mensah, an SLBS reporter who is currently seven months pregnant and who also
faces murder and spying charges, were charged with treason in the
Magistrate’s Court in Freetown. The charges were in connection with their
alleged involvement with the 25 May 1997 coup d’etat that overthrew newly
re-instated President Tejan Kabbah.
