(CEMESP/IFEX) – On 25 April 2006, three newspaper executives (Stanley Seakor of the “Analyst”, Kenneth Best of the daily “Observer”, Tom Kamara of the “New Democrat”) appeared before the Senate Committee on Information and Broadcasting after being summoned by the body. The three papers for which they work have been accused by the Senate of […]
(CEMESP/IFEX) – On 25 April 2006, three newspaper executives (Stanley Seakor of the “Analyst”, Kenneth Best of the daily “Observer”, Tom Kamara of the “New Democrat”) appeared before the Senate Committee on Information and Broadcasting after being summoned by the body.
The three papers for which they work have been accused by the Senate of publishing “false and misleading stories” about the Senate, and also of “writing in favor of the Executive branch of government”.
The “Analyst” was cited because of a 24 April banner headline story entitled “Contempt Epidemic”, which followed the brief jailing of two cabinet ministers on contempt charges by the Senate. The newspaper’s management was summoned by the Senate to clarify this headline. The Senate argued that there is “nothing epidemic” about its action since the body has only taken such action once.
The “New Democrat”, for its part, was summoned to clarify an article indicating that the Senators were receiving US$3,000 each in salary, which the body says is false. The Senators said they were receiving only 3,000 Liberian dollars (approx. US$61).
The daily “Observer” was cited because of a feature article in which the author wrote that “the people of Nimba County have always made bad decisions”, thus annoying a Senator from the county, Adolphus Dolo. Nimba County is one of the 15 sub-political divisions of Liberia.
In a separate incident, two local journalists were briefly detained on 25 April in front of the Ministry of National Defense building in Monrovia by soldiers of the United Nations Mission in Liberia.
Journalists Romeo Togba of Sky FM and Emmanuel Sayon of the newspaper “New Vision” were arrested for lack of valid identification while covering a riot by some ex-Armed Forces of Liberia soldiers. A tape recorder belonging to Sayon was destroyed in the process by the soldiers.
They were released hours later, following the intervention of some colleagues who were also at the scene.
