By Chernor Alimamy Kamara
The Independent Media Commission (IMC) has launched an investigation into an incident involving Coalition 4 Change (C4C) party leader in Parliament, Emerson Lamina, and the Radio Station Manager of Citizen FM 107.5, Ibrahim Tamba Fanday in Kono.
The commission says it has been briefed by its Monitoring Research and Project Unit and has opened a formal investigation on the matter, quoting its 2020 Act with the mandate to protect the interest of the public against exploitation or abuse by media institutions.
It promised to inform the public about the outcome of the investigation.
The Sierra Leone Association of Journalists (SLAJ) in a press release issued on the 13th of September 2022, noted to have received a complaint from the Management of Citizen Radio 107.5 FM in Kono District, Eastern Sierra Leone. The complaint SLAJ received was based on an alleged attack and disruption of a live paid-for programme, by MP Lamina on Saturday, 3rd September 2022 at around 9:30 pm.
SLAJ President, Ahmed Sahid Nasralla while condemning the alleged attack on Citizen Radio, also called on the local authorities to protect journalists and their media houses in Kono district from intimidation, threats, and attacks by politicians and members of the public that feel aggrieved about their work.
The Association noted that the incident was very unfortunate, especially so when it involved a Member of Parliament, who understands the role of the media in democracy.
Nasralla urged Lamina to join hands with the other 8 MPs from Kono to assure the journalists in the district of their safety and security at all times.
“I believe the young and promising MP will be bold enough to condemn his own actions and apologize to the media house and its management,” said Nasralla.
However, in responding to SLAJ’s press release Lamina denied the allegation and noted that the association did not get the story right. He pointed to the release to have already castigated and accused his person, whilst at the same time went on to state that the allegation is an "alleged" incident.
He said SLAJ issued the press release based on a one-sided account and made no attempt to reach out to him.
He denied entering the Citizen Radio FM 107.5 studio to disrupt an ongoing programme.
Lamina explained that as Citizen Radio FM 107.5 was airing its programme that was paid for by some members of the C4C party, an alleged murderer who was on a police warrant was said to have fallen out of luck and was apprehended by community youths. He said the incident occurred exclusively outside the radio station’s premises.
“The alleged murderer’s warrant of arrest is at the CID Headquarters and it is that warrant that gave authority to the vigilant community policing youths to arrest that culprit for onward handing over to the police. The ensuing commotion which attracted so many onlookers may have caused the radio programme to be abruptly stopped on air and not the deliberate action of my humble self as callously opined by the SLAJ press release,” he said.
He urged SLAJ to retract their press release or else he will instruct his Attorney to seek redress.
But the Association’s executive has noted that they tried severally to reach out to MP Lamina for his account of the story and that they even delayed publication of the said condemnation statement but could not get him to pick up his calls nor returned their numerous calls.
Copyright © 2022 Politico Online
