Former head of state and junta leader, Retired Brigadier Julius Madaa Bio has described some media reports on him as baseless and a “witch hunt” to tarnish his reputation.

  Parliament on Thursday approved three presidential nominees to serve in different capacities in the public service. Veteran journalist and human rights activist, Paul Kamara was approved as Minister of Youth Employment and Sports; John Melvin Tucker to serve as Chairman of the Board of the National Revenue Authority and Andrew Koroma as Chairman of the board of the Sierra Leone Postal Service (SALPOST). They were approved without any debate or objection from members of parliament.

Some stalwarts of the main opposition, Sierra Leone Peoples Party (SLPP) have alleged that the party’s chairman, John Oponjo Benjamin is working on plans  to stage manage the party’s forth coming delegates convention in March next year. The three stalwarts who spoke to CTN on the condition of anonymity said “the All Peoples Congress administration has given huge sums of money to  Mr.  Benjamin to influence delegates to elect a weak flag-bearer for the twenty twelve presidential election.”  They alleged that Mr. Benjamin had once refused to support one of the candidates Julius Maada Bio on the grounds that he betrayed them, when he handed power to former President Ahmad Tejan Kabba in 1996.   But John Oponjo Benjamin told CTN that the information was false. He added that some people did not recognize his effort and work in the party. Mr Benjamin said the party’s executive was bent on ensuring a fair convention, while maintaining its neutrality. He said the rumour was a deliberate attempt by the ruling APC to dismantle the structures of the SLPP.   Secretary General of the APC, Victor Bockarie Foh, dismissed the SLPP chairman’s claims, noting that it was “baseless and ridiculous.” He said       their  leadership was strong enough and ready to out rightly defeat any candidate in the twenty twelve presidential election.        

Information and Communication minister, Ibrahim Ben Kargbo says government is currently investigating the alleged arrest and beating of journalists in Freetown and Bo on the orders of two ministers of government. Mr Ben Kargbo told CTN that “the government would take necessary actions against what he called those at fault.” He said the government would not condone anything that would impede freedom of expression and “sour the relationship between the government and the media in Sierra Leone.” He however called on journalists to exercise restraint over the recent issues between two ministers and the journalists. The Information Minister said the government was working assiduously to ensure that the Freedom of Information Bill was enacted by parliament. Some members of the public have described the alleged acts of the ministers as “barbaric,” noting that such acts were not synonymous with democratic principles. Meanwhile, the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) has condemned the arrest of Mohamed Daramy, a radio presenter and Ibrahim Farmer, technician for KISS FM Radio in Bo, southern Sierra Leone.