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Gambia UPDATE: Detained editor convicted of contempt of court, released after paying heavy fine

Vivian Affoah
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Abdul Hamid Adiamoh, managing editor of Today, a privately-owned newspaper, was on June 28, 2012 released by the Banjul Magistrates’ Court. Before his release, he had been in detention for eight days without charge.

Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) sources reported that Adiamoh paid an outrageous fine of 100,000 Dalasis (about US$ 3,142) before he was released. The court ordered his arrest on June 20 after a June 19, 2012 publication where he misreported proceedings of a criminal case at the court involving a university lecturer. Badou Conteh, the lecturer’s counsel, unhappy with the publication, on June 20 pressed for a contempt of court charge against the editor and requested for his arrest.

“Your worship, I apply for the arrest of Abdul Hamid Adiamoh to appear before this court to explain where he got the information he authored and published regarding my cross examination. He misconceived my cross examination and his report is out of context … I therefore apply for his arrest” Conteh pleaded with the court. The presiding magistrate, Taiwo Ade Alagbe agreed with Conteh and subsequently ordered Adiamoh’s arrest that same day.

On June 28, when Adiamoh appeared before the court, the Magistrate found him guilty of the offence and asked him to pay the fine or in default serve six months imprisonment.

For more information please contact/pour d’amples renseignements, veuillez-vous adresser à :

Kwame Karikari (Prof)

Executive Director

MFWA

Accra

Tel: 233-30-22 4 24 70

Fax: 233-302-22 10 84

Email: [email protected], [email protected]

Website: www.mediafound.org

Gambia ALERT: Two journalists on remand, one released

Vivian Affoah
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Lamin Njie, deputy editor of privately-owned Daily newspaper, was on June 25, 2012 released from prison custody after being detained at the Gambia State Central Prison over his report on a court proceeding. Media Foundation for West Africa’s (MFWA) sources reported that Njie was arrested on June 22, 2012 on the orders of the High Court presided over by Justice Emmanuel Nkea, a Nigerian judge over a report he filed on a court proceeding.

In a June 18 publication in the Daily News headlined “Court denied bail to GRA official”, Njie erroneously reported that the High Court had denied bail to some officials of the Gambia Revenue Authority, GRA standing trial over economic crimes in the country. According to Justice Nkea, the story was false and subsequently ordered his arrest.Njie before his release explained to the court that his story was based on reports of the case on the state-owned Gambia Radio and Television Services, GRTS.

Meanwhile Abdul Hamid Adiamoh, managing editor of privately-owned Today newspaper, who was also arrested by the Banjul Magistrates’ Court on June 20, has still not been released and it remains unclear if he would, before June 28, the next adjourned date.

For more information please contac:

Kwame Karikari (Prof)

Executive Director

MFWA

Accra

Tel: 233-30-22 4 24 70

Fax: 233-302-22 10 84

Email: [email protected], [email protected]

Website: www.mediafound.org

Gambia ALERT: Police detains newspaper editor

Vivian Affoah
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Abdul Hamid Adiamoh, managing editor of privately-owned Today newspaper, was on June 20, 2012 detained by the Gambian Police on the orders of the Banjul Magistrates’ Court over an alleged contempt of court. Media Foundation for West Africa’s (MFWA) sources reported that the arrest followed a complaint filed by Badou S.M. Conteh, defense counsel for a university lecturer standing trial for giving false information to a public officer.

The sources said the defense counsel accused the editor of misreporting a cross examination of a witness in his newspaper. “Your worship, I apply for the arrest of Abdul Hamid Adiamoh to appear before this court to explain where he got the information he authored and published regarding my cross examination. He misconceived my cross examination and his report is out of context … I therefore apply for his arrest” the sources quoted Conteh.

Following the request, the court ruled that Adiamoh be brought before it on June 28, when the case will be recalled. However, the sources said Adiamoh was picked up on June 20 and it remains unclear if he will be released before then. The sources said apart from Adiamoh, another arrest warrant has been issued on Lamin Njie, deputy editor of privately-owned Daily newspaper, to appear before another court for contempt of court.

For more information please contact:

Kwame Karikari (Prof)

Executive Director

MFWA

Accra

Tel: 233-30-22 4 24 70

Fax: 233-302-22 10 84

Email: [email protected], [email protected]

Website: www.mediafound.org

Sierra Leone UPDATE: No justice for slain journalist, one year on

Vivian Affoah
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A year after the death of Ibrahim Foday, reporter of the Daily Exclusive Newspaper, no arrest, prosecution or trial has been meted out to the perpetrator(s) of this heinous crime. In a statement issued by the Sierra Leone Association of Journalists (SLAJ) on June 11, 2012, members of the association heightened their call on the Sierra Leonean authorities and the police service to ensure that justice is meted out to the perpetrator(s) of the crime.

“We are saddened that one year since the killing of Foday, the Sierra Leone Police Service are yet to bring his killer(s) to justice despite repeated assurances from senior members of the force”, says Umaru Fofana, President of SLAJ. Foday was allegedly stabbed by Tunde Williams on June 12, 2011, a driver of the head of Kossoh town near the capital Freetown, during a land dispute. Prior to his death, Foday had published series of critical articles on the dispute.

According to the Media Foundation for West Africa’s (MFWA) correspondent, despite this knowledge, the police have failed to apprehend Williams. Williams’ act is alleged to have been aided by a serving member of the Sierra Leone Police who was briefly arrested and released by the police without charge or explanation.

“Such is the horrible circumstance under which journalists work here that when they are attacked, beaten by policemen or even killed no serious action is taken to bring the attackers or assailants to justice,” added SLAJ President Umaru Fofana. Meanwhile police have recently declared Tunde Williams wanted and put an amount of 50 million Leones (about $ 11,000 US) -bounty on his head. According to SLAJ there will be a candle light memorial this week to mark the death of the journalist.

For more information please contact :

Kwame Karikari (Prof)

Executive Director

MFWA

Accra

Tel: 233-30-22 4 24 70

Fax: 233-302-22 10 84

Email: [email protected], [email protected]

Website: www.mediafound.org

Mali ALERT: Soldiers disrupt Television station’s broadcast; journalist in hiding

Vivian Affoah
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Abdoulaye Barry, a journalist with Africable, a Bamako-based Pan-African Television channel has fled into hiding following a warning he received from armed soldiers believed to be from the national army shortly after they stormed the station on June 12, 2012.

“More than 10 armed Malian soldiers came this morning to surround the offices of our television station. They banned the broadcast of an interview of a Tuareg rebel scheduled for Tuesday evening”, Barry told the Media Foundation for West Africa’s (MFWA) correspondent.

“I am now in hiding, particularly because they said they would come back if the interview was aired” emphasized Barry. The station had for several days advertised the broadcast of an exclusive interview with Mohammed Lamine Ould Ahmed, Deputy Secretary-General of the Azawad National Liberation Movement (MNLA). The action by the soldiers has led the station to cancel the broadcast of the interview. A source told the MFWA correspondent that the decision not to broadcast is as a result of “security reasons”.

For more information please contact:

Kwame Karikari (Prof)

Executive Director

MFWA

Accra

Tel: 233-30-22 4 24 70

Fax: 233-302-22 10 84

Email: [email protected], [email protected]

Website: www.mediafound.org

Senegal ALERT: Religious leader assaults journalist

Vivian Affoah
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Ibrahima Diakhaby, a reporter of privately-owned L’Observateur newspaper was on June 11, 2012 assaulted by a member of the Muslim Brotherhood of Layène, a religious sect founded by the late Mame Limamou Laye.  Diakhaby was attacked by Ousseynou Thiaw Laye, the grandson of the late Mame Limamou Laye and left him (Diakhaby) with a swollen right eye and a stitch under the lower eyelid.

According to the Media Foundation for West Africa’s (MFWA) correspondent, Diakhaby had gone to cover the visit of Moussa Tine, a parliamentary candidate of the Pencoo Democratic Alliance, at the Mame Limamou Laye Mausoleum situated in Yoff near Dakar. At the entrance of the Mausoleum Diakhaby together with other journalists were asked to leave their bags and equipment behind before entering. They, however, refused saying they preferred to wait outside. This angered the religious leader who retorted that they should “leave the place”, thus leading to a misunderstanding.

It was when Diakhaby tried to intervene that he was beaten and insulted by the religious leader. The Futurs Media Group, publishers of the L’ Observateur newspaper has condemned the attack and the Union of Information and Communication Professionals of Senegal (SYNPICS) is considering suing for “aggression and public insults of journalists”.

For more information please contact:

Kwame Karikari (Prof)

Executive Director

MFWA

Accra

Tel: 233-30-22 4 24 70

Fax: 233-302-22 10 84

Email: [email protected], [email protected]

Website: www.mediafound.org

Ghana ALERT: Newspaper reporter assaulted for covering police brutalities

Vivian Affoah
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Victor Kwawukume, a Volta Regional correspondent of state-owned Daily Graphic newspaper was on June 10, 2012 attacked by four policemen while covering their brutalities on some demonstrating residents of Anlokordzi in Ho, the regional capital.

“The policemen rushed on the reporter, gave him two heavy slaps and violently hit him on the head before seizing his camera,” said a report on the front-page of the June 11 issue of the state-owned newspaper.

Confirming the incident, Kwawukume who is also the regional President of the Ghana Journalist Association told Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) that had it not been for the intervention of a known police officer, his assailants would have dealt with him mercilessly.

“I am feeling pains in my head as we speak now. The policemen hit my head at an exact spot where I suffered an injury in an accident a year ago. My camera was given to me at the Ho Municipal Police Station after I had been made to delete the pictures I had taken”.

Kwawukume said he has since been treated and discharged from hospital.

The angry protestors had massed up on the streets amidst tyre burning to protest the police swoop on suspected drug dealers that had resulted in the death of one of them (suspects).

For more information please contact :

Kwame Karikari (Prof)

Executive Director

MFWA

Accra

Tel: 233-30-22 4 24 70

Fax: 233-302-22 10 84

Email: [email protected], [email protected]

Website: www.mediafound.org

Cote d’Ivoire ALERT: Pro-opposition newspaper suspended

Vivian Affoah
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The National Press Commission (CNP), the print media regulatory body has suspended Notre Voie, a privately-owned pro-opposition daily newspaper for four publications. The suspension takes effect from May 19, 2012.

According to the Media Foundation for West Africa’s (MFWA) correspondent, the decision of the regulatory body follows the publication of material that the commission says amounts to distortion of facts.

The newspaper in its May 12-13, 2012, edition published an article headlined “It is more than a year now since the regime imprisoned them; let us not forget them for genuine reconciliation to take place, they must be freed!!!” and illustrated with photographs captioned “H.E Laurent Gbagbo, President of the Republic of Cote d’Ivoire, overthrown by the UN-French coalition on April 11, 2012”.

The regulatory body in a swift response described the article as containing “distorted facts.” The commission therefore, invoked Articles 47 and 70 of a 2004 media legislation, to impose the sanction against the pro-opposition newspaper.

For more information please contact:

Kwame Karikari (Prof)

Executive Director

MFWA

Accra

Tel: 233-30-22 4 24 70

Fax: 233-302-22 10 84

Email: [email protected], [email protected]

Website: www.mediafound.org

Mali ALERT: Students vandalise Radio Kayira

Vivian Affoah
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Police in Bamako, the capital of Mali, on April 30, 2012 foiled attempts by angry students, who are members of the Association of Malian Pupils and Students, from burning down Radio Kayira, a privately-owned radio station located in Koutiala, a town 400km from the capital.  The students, who had accused the owner of the radio station, Oumar Mariko, a former student leader for masterminding an assassination attempt on their leader, Hamadoun Traoré, allegedly destroyed some broadcasting equipment worth about FCFA 18million (about US$ 3,571,950), and stole more than FCFA 2million (about US$ 398,556) in cash.

The Media Foundation for West Africa’s (MFWA) correspondent reported that at the time of the attack, the radio station was off air due to power outage and all the members had gone home. The correspondent said that Napo Mariko, a staff at the radio station expressed surprise at the behaviour of the students since he said the station has always supported their (students) cause.

On the night of April 22 there was a reported assassination attempt on the life of Hamadoun Traoré, General Secretary of the Association of Malian Pupils and Students in which the students accused the radio station’s owner of being the brain behind the attack.

For more information please contact:

Kwame Karikari (Prof)

Executive Director

MFWA

Accra

Tel: 233-30-22 4 24 70

Fax: 233-302-22 10 84

Email: [email protected], [email protected]

Website: www.mediafound.org

 

Togo ALERT: Journalist manhandled by security forces

Vivian Affoah
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Noel Kokou Tadégnon, correspondent of the French Network, Reuters TV, was on April 27, 2012 manhandled by security forces while filming a demonstration by a coalition of political and civil society activists during the country’s 52nd independence anniversary celebrations.

Tadégnon, who was filming the security forces who were firing tear gas at the demonstrators, is reported to have received heavy blows on his head and is currently nursing a swollen head, but he is yet to undergo scanning to determine whether he suffered any serious injuries to his head or not.

The Media Foundation for West Africa’s (MFWA) correspondent reported that the journalist, while filming the security forces’ assault on some of the demonstrators, was suddenly approached by the security officials who demanded to know why he was filming them. They pounced on him, seized his camera and rained heavy blows on him.

In a similar manner, Didier Alli, a cameraman from the privately owned Togolese Television station, TV7, also had his camera seized by the officials.

The demonstration, which was considered “a symbolic ceremony of profession of faith”, was organised by “Sauvons le Togo” (Lets save Togo), a coalition of opposition political parties and civil society groups, at the independence square, was rudely marred by the security forces.

For more information please contact:

Kwame Karikari (Prof)

Executive Director

MFWA

Accra

Tel: 233-30-22 4 24 70

Fax: 233-302-22 10 84

Email: [email protected], [email protected]

Website: www.mediafound.org

The Gambia ALERT: Africa NGOs slam Gambia for blocking online media

Vivian Affoah
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Participants at the NGOs Forum of African Commission on Human and People’s Right (ACHPR) on April 12, 2012 added their voice to the widespread condemnation of the Gambian authorities over their deliberate policy of blocking access to critical online news websites in the country. Systematically, the Gambia authorities have either attacked the online news newspapers by hacking into their websites or blocking their IP addresses, making it impossible for Gambians to access the news sites.

“We the participants of the NGO Forum are deeply concerned at the continuous blocking of the online newspapers and information websites thereby denying alternative sources of information to the Gambian public,” said a resolution adopted at the end of the forum. “We note with grave concern that the Gambian government continues to unduly restrict freedom of expression and access to information …” the resolution stated. Both the online newspapers and the mainstream media have suffered repeated censorships from the authorities. This situation has forced several independent journalists to flee into exile.

In 2008 for instance, The Gambia Echo and Freedom Newspaper, two online newspapers, were blocked for being critical of the administration. In the case of the Freedom Newspaper, it reported on the alleged corruption and mismanagement at the country’s state telecommunication company. The participants appealed to the Gambian government to urgently engage in a comprehensive media law reform and repeal all draconian laws, especially the criminal defamation, publication of false news and all other anti-freedom of expression legislation in the country’s law books.

For more information please contact:

Kwame Karikari (Prof)

Executive Director

MFWA

Accra

Tel: 233-30-22 4 24 70

Fax: 233-302-22 10 84

Email: [email protected], [email protected]

Website: www.mediafound.org

Guinea-Bissau ALERT: Military junta enforces media blackout in the country

Vivian Affoah
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0

A media blackout is being enforced by the military junta in Guinea-Bissau that staged a coup d’état on April 12, 2012.The Media Foundation for West Africa’s (MFWA) source in the country reported that on the day of the coup, the coup makers forced all the media houses to close down. The source said that in the evening of the same day, the soldiers seized a camera belonging to the local team of RTP-Africa, a Portuguese broadcaster after issuing death threats to them. The owner of privately-owned online news website, DITADURA DE CONSENSE, was reportedly tortured by the soldiers.

This latest censorship has worsened the already repressive media environment in Guinea-Bissau. Journalists in the country have been practicing self-censorship as a result of harsh treatment meted out to them by security forces and powerful individuals with connections to drug barons. Apart from the climate of fear, the media in Guinea-Bissau have endured and operated under very dire economic and political conditions. There are only about five newspapers and few radio and television stations including the state- run Radio Televisao de Guinea-Bissau (RTGB).

For more information please contact:

Kwame Karikari (Prof)

Executive Director

MFWA

Accra

Tel: 233-30-22 4 24 70

Fax: 233-302-22 10 84

Email: [email protected], [email protected]

Website: www.mediafound.org

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