MEDIA FREEDOM REVIEW – SEPTEMBER 2024

MEDIA FREEDOM REVIEW- SEPTEMBER 2024

The monthly ‘Media Freedom Review’ is a publication of the Media Reform Coordinating Group (MRCG). It is produced by monitoring and reporting on freedom of expression and the press, internet freedom, digital and online rights, and the safety and security of journalists in Sierra Leone.

In September 2024, MRCG followed up the dismissal and harassment of a journalist in Makeni, Northern Sierra Leone, the verbal threat against a freelance journalist in Bo, Southern Sierra Leone, the invitation and detention of a journalist in Kenema, the attack on the office and staff of a radio in Makeni, the assault on a journalist, alleged destruction of property of a journalist in Freetown while on duty, alleged assault on a journalist in Moyamba District, the matter of former Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) boss, the alleged physical assault on a journalist in Waterloo, the matter between a journalist and a magistrate in Pujehun, information request to the Right to Access Information Commission (RAIC)  and other media engagements.

On the matter of journalist Umu Thoronka, who was dismissed from work and allegedly attacked and harassed on social media regarding a TikTok video she posted about a contribution of a lady at the Presidential Town Hall Meeting in Freetown on 23 July 2024, there had been no further progress on the matter. The journalist said that since she reported the matter to the Sierra Leone Association of Journalists (SLAJ), she has yet to receive a response from them. SLAJ told MRCG that investigations on the matter are still ongoing. The matter was extensively discussed at SLAJ’s Annual General Meeting in Bo with suggestions for possible solutions.

On the matter of Alie Badara, a freelance journalist in Bo, who allegedly received verbal assaults and threatening remarks in May 2024 through a phone call from an unknown individual for a Facebook post he had done on the excesses of the police in their fight against the drug called “Kush” and other illegal substances in Bo, Southern Sierra Leone, the journalist maintained that since the matter was reported to the police and the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), there had been no progress from the police and the ACC on the matter. Moses Tommy Ganda, the police officer attached to the Cyber Unit at the Bo East Police Division, told MRCG that they were still investigating the matter. ACC’s Investigation Officer in Bo, Joseph Noah, told MRCG that the Commission had investigated the matter and referred the matter to the Inspector General of Police for his intervention.

On the matter of Patrick Kai, a journalist working for Calabash newspaper, who was invited for questioning on 16 April 2024 at the Kenema police division about an alleged cybercrime committed against the Eastern Technical University (ETU), the journalist told MRCG that he had stopped reporting at the police station and investigations on the matter have been closed. Inspector Prince Bernard Musa of the Communication Unit of East Police Division Kenema, confirmed that the journalist had stopped reporting at the police station and they had dropped all investigations on the matter.

Concerning the attack on the office and staff of Hope FM 93.3 in Makeni, Northern Sierra Leone, by a group of thugs reportedly sent by the landlord of the premises housing the radio in October 2023, there had been no further progress regarding payment of compensation to the radio. Stanley Bangura, the radio’s Proprietor, said since they left the landlord’s premises and moved to a new building in July this year, they have yet to hear from the landlord regarding compensation for the damages caused during the incident. The Proprietor further told MRCG that they were giving the landlord until November 2024 for the compensation; otherwise, legal actions would be retaken. The landlord is based in the USA, and at the time of writing this report, the MRCG could not get his side.

There is still no new development on the alleged attack and assault of the Station Manager of Fountain of Peace Radio, Alie Tokowa, in Moyamba District on 28 March 2023. It was alleged that supporters of the Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP), on the instruction of Mr. Joseph Gbogba, the former District Council Chairman at the SLPP’s party office in Moyamba, Southern Sierra Leone, attacked journalist Tokowa while on duty. Mr. Tokowa still maintained that he was yet to receive any positive response from some of the human rights organisations to help him take legal action against his attackers. As part of his next step on the matter, he was still planning to file a formal complaint at the Human Rights Commission of Sierra Leone (HRCSL) soon. The Local Unit Commander of Police in Moyamba, ASP Franklyn Bawoh, told MRCG that the matter was still with the State Counsel.

On the case of journalist Osman Hardy Jalloh at the HRCSL, concerning a complaint against Magistrate Joseph Toby of Pujehun Magistrate Court (formerly of Magistrate Court Number 2 in Kenema), Al Mansaray, the owner of TV-News24, in March 2023, had posted on his channel that he had filed a legal paper against the United States Government through the U.S. States Department for failing to take appropriate action when he alerted them about the abuse of power and unprofessional conduct of Magistrate Toby. The Deputy Director of Regional Service of the Human Rights Commission (HRCSL) East, Vandi Saidu, said the chief complainant, Al Mansaray, owner of TV-News 24, has not responded to the Commission’s email containing the incident summary form sent to him. As such, the Commission cannot take any further action on the matter without the complainant’s cooperation. The Chief complainant, Al Mansaray, did not respond to the MRCG regarding the matter. The MRCG is still monitoring the matter.

On the matter of Emmanuel C Thorli, Managing Editor of Night Watch Newspaper, who was arrested and detained at the CID in Freetown, allegedly for his news article titled ‘We Cannot Wait For Bio To Continue In Power Until 2028’, published on 21 February 2024, police said the matter had been kept in view.  On his other matter with the staff of Njala University, there has been no progress on the issue and the journalist he was yet to take further steps, which he had earlier promised, to bring his attackers to book. Police said the matter had also been kept in view.

There is still no progress on the case of the former Anti-Corruption Commissioner, Ady Macauley Esq., who was arrested and detained at the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) in October 2022 for expressing his legal opinion on AYV Television on the 1965 Public Order Act (POA). He has been released, but the matter is still at the Directorate of Public Prosecution (DPP). MRCG continues to monitor the matter.

Concerning the alleged destruction of Ibrahim Alusine Kamara’s car, the Editor of Salone Compass Newspaper, during a press conference at the APC Headquarters on 25 June 2023, there has been no progress by the Independent Police Complaint Board (IPCB) and the journalist’s legal team on the matter. The journalist maintained that his lawyers are yet to complete the necessary documentation to take the leadership of the Sierra Leone Police (SLP) and the Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces (RSLAF) to court. The Investigating Officer at IPCB, Hawalyn Kamara, had previously told MRCG that a joint force ‘wearing balaclava’ was deployed to the scene the day the incident occurred and, therefore, their investigation into the matter had stalled due to lack of identification of the exact security officials that assaulted the journalist.

There has been no progress on the matter of Alimamy N’Jai Sesay, who was charged with five counts of various offences in the Cyber Security and Crime Act No. 7 of 2021 for sharing Abdul Will Kamara, alias Adebayor’s audios on social media. The matter is still at the High Court for trial, with the accused in remand. The matter had come up on 7 and 14 March 2024, but the accused was not in court on both days. The court was yet to schedule a hearing date on the matter.

In a follow-up on the arrest warrant for journalist Justice Boima, CEO of Justice FM and TV, for alleged offences relating to cyberstalking and bullying, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Amos Lansana, an officer attached to the Cybercrime Unit at the CID Headquarters and in charge of the matter, maintained that the journalist had neither reported to the CID nor been arrested and that they were still searching for him to start their investigation of the matter.

On diverse dates in September 2024, the MRCG, with funding support from the Africa Transitional Justice Legacy Fund (ATJLF), under the project ‘Engaging Media and Communities to Change the Narrative on Transitional Justice Issues in Sierra Leone’ capacitated sixty-six (66) journalists across the country on transitional justice reporting.

From 26 to 28 September 2024, SLAJ held its Annual general meeting in Bo on the theme ‘CHARTING THE WAY FORWARD: New Constitution for an Inclusive and Stronger SLAJ.

In a letter dated 26 September 2024, Augustine Sorie-Sengbeh Marrah Esq. requested the RAIC to review the decision of  Electoral Commission Sierra Leone (ECSL) refusal to give the certified copies of Presidential, Parliamentary and Local Council election results held in June 2023. He said the ECSL has used legal basis outside the RAIC’s mandate to deny his request, and as such, he may seek legal interpretation in the court of law. In response to the request, ECSL referred him to the Commission’s website, where all election results were published so that he could access all the requested information.

The details of the cases and issues will be published in the MRCG Bi-Annual Press Freedom Report for June to November 2024.  

The MRCG’s initiative on freedom of expression and the press, internet freedom, digital and online rights, and the safety and security of journalists in Sierra Leone is funded by the National Endowment for Democracy (NED) in the United States of America. The MRCG seeks to strengthen democratic dialogue and accountability, consolidate peace, and ensure development through professional, independent, and sustainable media based on the right to freedom of expression and the press.