Ibrahim Kalokoh was threatened by two staff members of the Port Authority on 2 July regarding a report he published about corruption within the institution.
(MFWA/IFEX) – Ibrahim Kalokoh, an investigative journalist of the privately-owned “For Di People” daily newspaper, was threatened with death by two staff members of the Sierra Leone Port Authority (SLPA), following reports of corruption leveled against the SLPA’s General Manager, Benjamin Davies, in the newspaper.
The Media Foundation for West Africa’s (MFWA) correspondent reported that the two men, identified as Junior Said and Martin, confronted Kalokoh at about 18 hours GMT) on 2 July 2011 at Kissy Road, Freetown’s busiest thoroughfare, on his way home from work. They warned him to discontinue publishing negative stories about their boss or he would be killed.
“You will be the next journalist to be killed. If you continue to write negative things against Benjamin Davies. We will beat you to death. We will attack you anytime we meet you at any isolated area. Go and tell your family and colleague journalists that they will soon see your dead body”, Kalokoh was threateningly told.
Junior Said is reported to have said: “You bastard Kalokoh, you are the one writing all those nasty things against our boss Benjamin Davies.”
The matter has been reported to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the Eastern Police Station, which launched investigations into the matter.
