(JED/IFEX) – Fortune Bemba, editor of the Brazzaville-based weekly “Thalassa”, was charged on 21 April 2006 with defamation, attack on the honour of the head of state and propagation of false news by the public prosecutor Dinard Moubanga Mokonji. The journalist was arrested on 20 April and imprisoned in Brazzaville before being released the following […]
(JED/IFEX) – Fortune Bemba, editor of the Brazzaville-based weekly “Thalassa”, was charged on 21 April 2006 with defamation, attack on the honour of the head of state and propagation of false news by the public prosecutor Dinard Moubanga Mokonji.
The journalist was arrested on 20 April and imprisoned in Brazzaville before being released the following day. He was questioned on the subject of an article published in the last installment of the newspaper, entitled, “Were General Casimir Bouissa Matoko and Lekoudzou poisoned by Denis Sassou Nguesso”. In this article, the newspaper accused the head of state of poisoning General Bouissa, who died a week ago.
The first hearing of this case before the Correctional Tribunal of Brazzaville is scheduled for 17 May.
