By Mohamed T. Massaquoi
A member of the presidential guard found guilty of beating two journalists has been removed and sent for retraining, the government of Sierra Leone has said.
Minister of Information and Communication, Abdul Rahman Swaray, said on Thursday that the government will also refund all the expenses spent for medical treatment by the two female journalists from SLBC who were beaten while covering a football match at the National Stadium.
The incident happened on September 8th, during an international match between Sierra Leone and Liberia, which was attended by President Julius Maada Bio.
Esther Marie Sumura and Francess Bernard were beaten by the Presidential Guards under the pretext of clearing the commentary booth for security reasons.
In response to widespread condemnation and calls for justice, the government set up an investigation committee which presented its report on October 17th. Key among the 13-point recommendations of the committee is the sacking of the officer found guilty.
According to a statement issued by the Information Ministry on the decision, a total of five of the recommendations were acted upon. They include a commitment to refund expenses incurred on treatment and payment for all claims for damages incurred by victims.
According to the statement dated 24th October, the government also agreed to facilitate and finance further medical attention needed by the victims, provided this can only be predicated on a certified medical report.
“We would have loved that match to end seamlessly without any incident, but it was regrettable that it happened, and because we are concerned, that is why we have taken this bold move to ensure that we redress and address the issues that came to the fore. So it was one person and that person is being removed and retrained,” said Swaray, while addressing journalists on Thursday at the Ministry’s weekly press conference.
“Government wishes to assure all media practitioners and citizens of its continuing support and commitment to media freedom and protecting and preserving the rights of all Sierra Leoneans,” Swaray added in the statement.
The decision of the government comes a day after the Sierra Leone Association of Journalists (SLAJ) and its affiliate bodies, including the Sports Writers Association and Women In the Media Sierra Leone issued press release urging the government to speedily implement the recommendations of the investigation committee.
“The recommendations, in my opinion, are generally fair enough to ensure justice for our colleagues. So I urge government for their speedy implementation, lest they gather dust in some shelf,” SLAJ President, Ahmed Sahid Nasralla, said in the statement.
“We will ensure we monitor the implementation of these recommendations,” he added.
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