Tam-Baryoh
Sierra Leonean journalist David Tam-Baryoh was released on bail late last night after he had been detained for a few hours following a complaint against him by a government minister.
His bail bond was in the sum of Le 100 million (US$ 23,000).
Fellow journalist Philip Neville and politician Mohamed Bangura, who had to submit their title deeds, served as the two sureties before he was released in the middle of the night, to report to the Criminal Investigations Department this morning.
However, when he reported at the CID headquarters this morning, the head of the CID, Chief Superintendent Ibrahim Koroma said he could go home and that they would get back to him as and when they needed to. He said they were still going on with their investigations.
A police source told Politico that they were also investigating the journalist for a document he is alleged to be in possession of, regarding President Ernest Bai Koroma.
The arrest of the journalist followed a complaint of libel against him by Minister of Transport, Leonard Balogun Koroma. Police say the minister showed them an SMS text message said to have been sent to the minister by the journalist in which he appears to be saying that he had received information that the minister was planning to "deal" with him. The text apparently says also that the alleged threat by the minister came in the wake of reports that some government officials were planning to burn down his radio station.
The host of the country's most widely listened to weekly radio programme, Monologue, told Politico that he went to CID headquarters himself after he had heard that the police were looking for him. He said he was still not clear how his action amounted to libel - criminal or civil.
The arrest of Tam-Baryoh follows the detention for 18 days of two editors of the daily Independent Observer newspaper for publishing an article deemed demeaning of the president.
Politico Online 03/01/14
