Abdul Tejan-Cole
The former head of the Anti-Corruption Commission, Abdul Tejan-Cole has referred to the ban of the radio programme Monologue as "a very sad day for media in Sierra Leone".
Tejan-Cole, who is now the head of the Open Society Initiative for West Africa (OSIWA), says "I did not always agree with Tam Bayoh's views but respected his right to express them and will defend that right".
He was reacting to an instruction given by the Sierra Leone cabinet chaired by President Ernest Bai Koroma to the independent media commission to axe off what is arguably the weekly radio programme with the biggest audience in Sierra Leone.
"A simple letter emanating from cabinet, even if it is a plea, carries tremendous authority, fear, undue influence, subtle threat, whatever way you want to put it", he told Politico, adding: "We can't say, 'oh it was just a recommendation'".
The international human rights lawyer asks rhetorically: "Though not the best of comparisons, will cabinet be right in sending a message to a judge or the chief justice, or the prosecutor of a case for that matter? Does the fact that the judge is strong enough to remain independent make such executive overreach correct?"
He says the fact that the suspension was initiated by cabinet created "credibility problems and distrust for state institutions" in this case the IMC and cabinet.
He says the perception such an action creates is that "the IMC is not independent of cabinet".
Tejan-Cole says the relationship between organs of state and the people, and the way they are exercised differs from person-to-person relationships. "The government institutions have a greater degree of responsibility to the people" he maintains, adding that "while cabinet may complain, the reasons and justification ought to be convincingly fleshed out and IMC should have given thought to due process".
(C) Politico 11/07/14
