The Sierra Leonean Minister of Defense Alfred Paolo Conteh on May 10, 2014, threatened Edward Marah managing editor of a privately-owned weekly The Informant newspaper.
The MFWA’s correspondent in the country reported that the minister’s action followed a series of publications by Marah which alleged that the minister had misappropriated funds allocated to the Peace Support Operations of the Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces (RSLAF).
According to Marah, he received a phonecall from mobile number 076-712-635 and when he answered, it was the Minster. “Hello is that Edward Marah? You have started writing about me again. This time I would ensure that I follow you to wherever and you would not go free. I would make sure I get you this time” the Minister is reported to have said to Marah.
Marah on May 12, 2014 wrote a formal complaint to the Inspector General of Police and copied to the Office of the President, the Independent Media Commission (IMC), CSOs, all media houses, Embassies, among others.
“As a professional journalist and a respecter of institutions of government charged with the responsibility of protecting the lives and properties of citizen, I have decided to make a formal complaint at the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Sierra Leone Police at Pademba Road in Freetown for this life-threatening remarks coming from no less a person but the Minister of Defense who is supposed to be focused on securing the territorial boundaries of Sierra Leone while keeping her safe from external aggression,” Marah said.
The MFWA is worried about this development and appeals to the security agencies to ensure the safety of the journalist.
For more information please contact
Sulemana Braimah
Executive Director
MFWA
Accra
Tel: 233-0302-24 24 70
Fax: 233-0302-22 10 84
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