(JED/IFEX) – On 26 June 2003, a court in La Lobaye, a city located 105 kilometres from Bangui, the capital, sentenced Michel Ngokpele, publication director of the Bangui-based newspaper “Le quotidien de Bangui”, to six months’ imprisonment with no parole for “defamation by means of the press” and “incitement to ethnic hatred”. According to JED’s […]
(JED/IFEX) – On 26 June 2003, a court in La Lobaye, a city located 105 kilometres from Bangui, the capital, sentenced Michel Ngokpele, publication director of the Bangui-based newspaper “Le quotidien de Bangui”, to six months’ imprisonment with no parole for “defamation by means of the press” and “incitement to ethnic hatred”.
According to JED’s information, in mid-May, “Le quotidien de Bangui” published an article about the misappropriation of funds at La Lobaye’s M’Baiki hospital. Among other things, the article said, “Since the arrival of the new head doctor, there are more deaths at the hospital than previously.” The article also said, “The new doctor appears to be protected by the chief of police and state prosecutor, to whom he happens to be related.”
Ngokpele was arrested on 18 May. He was first detained at the Bangui police station before being transferred to M’Baiki prison. The journalist appeared before the M’Baiki High Court on 19 June. The prosecution had sought a three-month prison sentence and 250,000 CFA franc (approx. US$280; 250 euros) fine.
