Sierra Leone

(CPJ/IFEX) – On 31 December 1998, Col. Sam Bockrie of the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) rebel forces said, during an interview with the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), that BBC Makeni stringer Sylvester Rogers was biased against the rebels in his reporting, and that such people would be dealt with if the rebels take Makeni. Rogers […]

(CPJ/IFEX) – At approximately 4:00 p.m. (local time) on 22 December 1998, Kabba Kargbo, a free-lance reporter with the independent newspaper “Pathfinder,” was arrested by Criminal Investigation Department (CID) police in Freetown and transported to the CID headquarters. The arrest came shortly after Kargbo was interviewed on the British Broadcasting Service (BBC) “Focus on Africa” […]

(CPJ/IFEX) – On 11 December 1998, Mildred Hancile, a reporter and production assistant with SLBS, Conrad Roy, an editor with “Expo Times” newspaper, Mano Mbompa Turay, editor of the now-defunct “Eagle” newspaper, and Amadu Jalloh, a senior journalist with “Liberty Voice” newspaper, appeared for the first time in the Magistrates’ Court among twenty two civilians […]

(CPJ/IFEX) – At 10:00 a.m. (local time) on 10 December 1998, BBC reporter Winston Ojukutu Macauley appeared in Magistrates Court #1A, presided over by Magistrate Naomi Tunis, where he was formerly charged with “false publication contrary to Article 98 of the Penal Code of 1998.” Macauley, who was represented by attorneys Jenkins Johnson and Alusine […]

(CPJ/IFEX) – On 8 December 1998, at approximately 5:00 p.m. (local time), two plain clothes officers of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) arrested Winston Ojukutu Macaulley, Freetown correspondent for the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), at the Sierra Leone Telecommunications Center in Freetown. The journalist was taken to the CID headquarters, where he is currently being […]

(CPJ/IFEX) – At approximately 6:00 p.m. (local time) on 8 December 1998, Sulaiman Momodu, a reporter with the independent “Concord Times” newspaper and a stringer for the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), was arrested by plain clothes detectives at his residence in Freetown and transported to the Criminal Investigation Department. **New case and update to IFEX […]

(CPJ/IFEX) – The following is the text of a letter sent by CPJ to the president and the members of the Sierra Leone Association of Journalists (SLAJ) in regard to the possible formation of a media council in the country: December 5, 1998 Frank Kposowa, President & Members Sierra Leone Association of Journalists (SLAJ) Dear […]

CPJ/IFEX – (Sources used: CPJ, AFP) On 15 September 1998, the Sierra Leone Association of Journalists (SLAJ) released a statement requesting that foreigners demanding clemency for five journalists — Ibrahim Kargbo, Hilton Fyle, Gipu Felix George, Dennis Smith and Olivia Mensah, who were convicted 23 August of treason and sentenced to death on 24 August […]

(ARTICLE 19/IFEX) – The following is the full text of a statement released on 27 August 1998: **This alert contains information further to IFEX alert of 25 August 1998; for background information see IFEX alerts of 14 and 1 April 1998** ARTICLE 19, the International Centre Against Censorship, today expressed its disquiet about the conviction […]

(IPI/IFEX) – IPI is deeply concerned about the fate of five journalists who were sentenced to death in Sierra Leone on 24 August 1998, on charges of treason in connection with a May 1997 coup d’état. **Updates IFEX alerts of 14 and 1 April 1998** According to IPI, 16 Sierra Leone citizens, including five journalists, […]

(CPJ/IFEX) – On 14 July 1998, Foday Fofana and Alusine Fofanah, journalists with the “Star” newspaper, were summoned to the magistrate’s court in Freetown and appeared before Magistrate Patrick Hamilton where they were charged with publishing defamatory, libelous, and false reports likely to disturb the public. On 15 July 1998, Umaru David and David Konteh, […]

(CPJ/IFEX) – On 2 July 1998, Joseph Mboka, editor of the “Democrat”, Jonathan Leigh, managing editor of the “Independent Observer”, and Ahmed Kanneh, managing director of “Newstorm” were arrested for violating Proclamation 1, the current emergency regulations banning the publication of information regarding the current war with the rebel Revolutionary United Front (RUF) forces. Mboka’s […]

(CPJ/IFEX)- On 24 June 1998, Minister of Information Julius Spencer announced that all editors must pay in full within two weeks any outstanding taxes, or risk closure of their newspapers. The Sierra Leone Journalists Association’s letter protesting the terms of the taxation amendment has not been acknowledged by authorities nor have any of the organization’s […]

(CPJ/IFEX) – On 3 June 1998, the Income Tax Department made public an excessive 383% increase in tax assessments on publishers for this fiscal year beginning in June 1998. The tax assessments appear to have been determined arbitrarily without the requisite financial audits. All print media, whether they were operational or not during the 10-month […]

(CPJ/IFEX) – On 31 April 1998, Minister of Information Julius Spencer accused journalists of the newspaper “Punch” of collaborating with the ousted junta. This accusation was announced on the radio and on television broadcasts throughout the nation and is in connection with an article printed in the 29 April 1998 issue of the paper entitled, […]

(CPJ/IFEX) – Edward Smith, a reporter with the British Broadcasting Service (BBC), was killed in an ambush in the village of Banbanduhun during the afternoon of 13 April 1998. Smith, who covered the northeastern region (Makeni and Kono districts) of Sierra Leone for the BBC since the Armed Forces Ruling Council (AFRC) took power in […]