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SLPP Party stalwarts beat journalists in Bo |
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Written by Patrick Jakema
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Tuesday, 02 March 2010 |
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The Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP) National Conference in Bo has reportedly ended with the manhandling of about ten journalists by SLPP youths and security guards.
The journalists were allegedly manhandled for attempting to take photographs of delegates, who were protesting, against certain positions being adopted, during the debate over crucial amendments to the party’s 1995 Constitution. One of the journalists, David Jabati, Editor of the Exclusive Newspaper, was prevented by the security guards from taking photographs, and in the process the security-guard attempted to forcefully seize the camera from the journalist. The alleged assualted journalists also reported the loss of their newsgathering equipment, including cameras and mobile phones, during the fracas. Journalists described the act as an attempt to muzzle the press and an impediment to freedom of information. On a third unscheduled day (Sunday), Party officials had to ban all journalists from entering the conference hall on the grounds that the session was not for the press but delegates only. The SLPP has however denied that journalists were manhandled by its members. The Secretary General of the party Jacob Jusu Saffa said the SLPP was a democratic party and had respect for the press. Saffa told CTN, that the SLPP, was not a violent party, ‘but if journalists were manhandled, it was unfortunate; and I do apologise’. Meanwhile, SLAJ in a press release issued on Monday condemned in the strongest of terms the reported physical assault and manhandling of ten journalists by party security operatives and members/supporters of the opposition Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP). SLAJ, called on the leadership of the SLPP to show, what it referred to as ‘decent character’ and cooperate fully with the police in investigating the incident, as a demonstrating of their willingness to respect the rule of law. ‘Anything short of that will not be accepted’, the SLAJ statement concluded.
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