By KEMO Cham
The Independent Media Commission (IMC) of Sierra Leone has warned public officials and institutions to desist from stonewalling journalists thereby preventing them from accessing public information in the course of their work.
The warning is part of recommendations contained in a ruling on a case between the Sierra Leone Red Cross Society (SLRCS) and Politico Newspaper. The Red Cross had filed the complaint over a September 2019 publication it claimed was damaging to its reputation.
The contested article, headlined: "Red Cross in Turmoil", published on September 24, reported the fallout of a protest by volunteers of the humanitarian organization who accused their leadership of neglect. It followed riots at the National Stadium where Red Cross volunteers were attacked and some wounded. The affected volunteers were unhappy with the way the management handled the situation, and they were calling for the resignation of some top officials.
The dispute within the organization led to the arrest of some volunteers and the eventual removal of the head of its Western Area branch, Unisa Carew, who was accused of inciting the aggrieved volunteers.
In its complaint to the IMC, the Red Cross leadership claimed that the article by Politico was "malicious and exaggerated" and that it amounted to "misrepresentation of the facts."
The organization, alleging that the author of the piece didn't make any effort to get their side of the story, claimed that it was a deliberate attempt to tarnish its "hard-earned reputation".
Kpawuru Sandy, Secretary General of the SLRCS, who signed the complaint letter, lamented that the publication caused SLRCS’ international funders to halt their funding, thereby disrupting their operation.
Politico denied all the allegations and blamed the Red Cross management for the failure to reflect their side of the story by refusing to entertain our request for a comment, with the goal of killing the story.
Two hearings were held by the Complaints Committee of the media regulator, between October and December 2019.
The Red Cross was represented by its top ranking officials in both hearings, including its Secretary General and the organization's legal retainer.
Politico was represented by its editor, as well as the author of the article, Mohamed Jaward Nyallay, who is also deputy editor at the time.
According to a letter dated April 1, 2020 sent to Politico by the IMC and containing the findings of the investigation, the Red Cross caused the situation leading to the bad press it was trying to fight.
"During deliberations, the Committee found out that the editor made several attempts to get the side of the Sierra Leone Red Cross before going to press but all to no avail, that the Red Cross did not cooperate with the editor to provide information," the Committee said in a summary of its findings and recommendations.
"The board of the IMC at its board meeting held on Thursday 26th March, 2020, fully endorsed the recommendations of the Complaints Committee," noted George S. Khoryama, Chairman of the IMC, in the report of the findings.
The case highlights a major struggle journalists and researchers go through daily in search of information in a country which passed the Freedom of Information law over six years ago.
The management of Politico Newspaper welcomed the outcome of the investigation. It said it hoped that the ruling would serve as a message to public institutions and officials who seek to stifle free press by withholding public information.
SLRCS, founded in 1962 by an act of the Parliament, is a national society with the mandate of rendering medical and humanitarian assistance to citizens of Sierra Leone during times of conflict, disasters or humanitarian crisis. The organization has played major role in the 1991-2002 civil war, the 2014-2016 West African Ebola epidemic and the 2017 Freetown flooding and mudslide disaster that claimed hundreds of lives.
The society was shrouded in controversy over its handling of funds received from its international partners to respond to the Ebola epidemic.
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