Liberia: Court bans printing of newspaper
A magisterial court in Monrovia, presided over by Judge Joseph Fayiah, has placed an injunction on publication of the privately-owned "New Broom" newspaper. According to Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) sources in Liberia, a 14 July 2004 letter signed by the court clerk instructed all printing houses in the country not to print "New Broom" because the newspaper's management had failed to appear in court to answer to contempt charges.
IFEX - News from the international freedom of expression community
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ALERT - LIBERIA
16 July 2004
Court bans printing of newspaper
SOURCE: Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA), Accra
(MFWA/IFEX) - A magisterial court in Monrovia, presided over by Judge Joseph
Fayiah, has placed an injunction on publication of the privately-owned "New
Broom" newspaper.
According to MFWA sources in Liberia, a 14 July 2004 letter signed by the
court clerk instructed all printing houses in the country not to print "New
Broom" because the newspaper's management had failed to appear in court to
answer to contempt charges.
Managing editor Roland Worwee and "New Broom" staff were served with a writ
of summons to appear in court on 11 June 2004 to answer to charges of
"criminal malevolence" brought against them by Bureau of Immigration and
Naturalisation (BIN) Commissioner Abraham Mitchell. The newspaper's
management, however, failed to respond to the summons.
The BIN commissioner's suit followed a publication in the "New Broom" in
which he was alleged to have received a bribe from the Sierra Leonean
ambassador to Liberia, Patrick Foyah, for the release of a number of Sierra
Leonean nationals who had been detained for breaking Liberia's immigration
laws. Mitchell denied the allegation and gave a three-day ultimatum for the
newspaper to retract the story and issue an apology. He took legal action
when the paper failed to comply.
The MFWA believes that the court should address the substantive charge of
"criminal malevolence" brought against the newspaper. Since the specific
relief sought by the plaintiff was for a redress of the alleged injury to
his reputation, any attempt to silence the newspaper is an infringement on
media freedom and freedom of expression in general.
For further information, contact Jeannette Quarcoopome, Media Foundation for
West Africa, P.O. Box LG 730, Legon, Ghana, tel.: +233 21 24 24 70, fax:
+231 21 22 10 84, e-mail: [email protected], Internet:
http://www.mfwaonline.org
The information contained in this alert is the sole responsibility of MFWA.
In citing this material for broadcast or publication, please credit MFWA.
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