(JED/IFEX) – On 6 March 2006, Jean-Pierre Pambu Lutete, publisher of the Kinshasa-based newspaper “La Tolérance”, was transferred to Kinshasa’s Penitentiary and Reeducation Centre (Centre pénitentiaire et de rééducation de Kinshasa, CPRK, formerly Makala Central Prison). The journalist was placed under arrest just before noon on 3 March 2006 by the Kinshasa/Kalamu Public Prosecutor’s office […]
(JED/IFEX) – On 6 March 2006, Jean-Pierre Pambu Lutete, publisher of the Kinshasa-based newspaper “La Tolérance”, was transferred to Kinshasa’s Penitentiary and Reeducation Centre (Centre pénitentiaire et de rééducation de Kinshasa, CPRK, formerly Makala Central Prison).
The journalist was placed under arrest just before noon on 3 March 2006 by the Kinshasa/Kalamu Public Prosecutor’s office for “damaging allegations” and “inciting tribal hatred” against Michel Tudu Zingo te Lando at the Land Registry Office of Funa, a district of Kinshasa.
At issue is an article he published entitled: “Pillage and collusion in the fraudulent sale of lands left to the Mount Amba Land Registration Department: Steward Michel Tudu Zingo te Lando has his hands in the coffers”.
In this article, which appeared in the 15th edition on 30 January 2006 the author asserts: “our investigation of the land registration department of the Mount Amba region showed that Mr. Michel Tudu was in the habit of granting new titles to the dignitaries of Ngbandi (Editor’s note: a tribe based in the province of Ecuador) which they in turn sold”.
JED met with Michel Tudu on 3 March. He asserted that he had no intention of pursuing the journalist in court but would like him “to disclose his information source”.
