By Zainab Joaque
FC Johansen coach John Keister has denied assaulting journalist Thomas Dixon. Dixon who is editor of Salone Times newspaper and who also presents a weekly program titled News File on Kalleone Radio is alleging that he was attacked at his King Williams Street residence by coach Keister who was accompanied by one Daniel Sillah.
But Keister told Politico in a interview that "what I can say is that all they are saying is not true...it's a big lie"
Asked how he came to be at Dixon's residence at the time of the alleged incident, the coach said "I just don’t want to go down that road as I am waiting for the police, because he has taken the matter to the police I am waiting to see how it develops from there and then we can go forward with it."
Thomas Dixon told Politico that during an interactive segment in his weekly radio program which was discussing issues affecting various sporting disciplines, football in particular, John Keister called into the programme and he was "attacking deputy sport minister, Ishmael Al-Sankoh for condemning local coaches in Sierra Leone, I then interjected and accused him of having a conflict of interest by being the coach of FC Johansen and at the same time being nominated as deputy coach of the national team by Isha Johansen."
Dixon said when the program came to an end Keister called him again saying "I want to come to your house, I want to put you to understanding." He said at that point "I told him that if he thought I did anything wrong on air, he should go to the IMC or to the court... but he started using obscene language."
He said Keister went to his residence and attacked him. "He grabbed my shirt and I struggled to get his hands off me...I called my colleagues who live in the neighborhood, Alhaji Komba and Mohamed Bah they came and tried to pull Keister and the other man Daniel away. The SLFA Secretary General Chris Kamara was standing outside."
Politico understands that officers at Western Police Station are still obtaining statements from Dixon’s witnesses.
(C) Politico 21/10/14
