(JED/IFEX) – On 26 November 2004, in the early evening, Delly Bonsange, Rackys Bokela and Jean-Marie Basa Ndjakolo, journalists with the newspapers “Alerte Plus”, “Le Collecteur” and “Flash Info”, respectively, were arrested by three judicial police inspectors and detained at the Kinshasa/Gombe High Court, where they spent the night. The journalists were released on 27 […]
(JED/IFEX) – On 26 November 2004, in the early evening, Delly Bonsange, Rackys Bokela and Jean-Marie Basa Ndjakolo, journalists with the newspapers “Alerte Plus”, “Le Collecteur” and “Flash Info”, respectively, were arrested by three judicial police inspectors and detained at the Kinshasa/Gombe High Court, where they spent the night. The journalists were released on 27 November, at around 2:00 p.m. (local time), and were ordered to reappear before the court on 30 November.
No official reason was given for the journalists’ arrest. On 27 November, a JED representative was able to meet with them in their place of detention. The journalists said police inspectors questioned them on two separate occasions. They were asked to reveal their sources for a story implicating Culture and Arts Minister Christophe Muzungu in a financial scandal at the national electrical company (Société nationale d’électricité, SNEL) during the time when Muzungu was a member of the SNEL’s board of directors. The president’s cabinet secretary was also implicated in the scandal.
Bonsange told JED that he and the two other journalists were arrested on 26 November at Muzungu’s office. Bonsange said they had an appointment to meet with the minister in order to review information in their possession about a story involving the the misappropriation of some US$3 million in “special premiums for debt recovery.” On 25 November, the national energy minister and SNEL president were dismissed over the scandal.
Upon their arrival at Muzungu’s office, the journalists were met by the minister’s communications adviser, who informed them that they could not meet with the minister. When asked by JED to explain his version of the facts, the communications adviser said, “The three journalists claimed that, with the information in their possession, they had the ability to have the minister dismissed from the government.” Angered by what he considered to be threats and a blackmail attempt, Muzungu met with the journalists and, according to them, allegedly said, “We are the ones in power. I can kill you and dispose of your bodies.” Muzungu’s communications adviser denied this version of events, however, claiming the journalists used threats and blackmail “in a shameful attempt to extort money from the minister.”
“Le Collecteur” and “Flash Info” have only been published sporadically in recent months.
