Magistrate Komba Kamanda of Court Number 2 yesterday denied bail to the editor and the managing editor of the Independent Observer newspaper. Jonathan Leigh and Bai Bai Sesay were sent back to Pademba Road prison for another week after they had spent 12 days in detention. In a packed courtroom attended by scores of journalists, Kamanda denied an impassioned bail application by defence lawyer Ansu Lansana, saying the nature of the offence was so serious he could not grant them. The two are accused of publishing an article about the rift at the presidency deemed demeaning of President Ernest Bai Koroma. The four-man defence team comprising Ansu Lansana, Emmanuel Saffa Abdulai, Ronald Gidwani and Umaru Napoleon Koroma had pleaded with the magistrate for the two to be released on bail because, among other things, they were considering the possibility of publishing a retraction and an apology.
Senor state counsel , Gerald Soyie objected to the application saying the considered apology could well be a ploy only to secure their release which they might not make or if they did could be an “ambiguous” one. He said the publication amounted to a security threat and a “deliberate sabotage” against the state because it bordered on the president. The defence team had earlier launched a dramatic move to have some of the 26 counts of sedition struck out. They preliminarily objected to six of the counts on grounds ranging from being duplicitous to being faulty. The magistrate is expected to give a ruling on that on the adjourned date of 4 November. After the adjournment, the dozens of journalists walked to the SLAJ headquarters where they looked emotional and sometimes forlorn. SLAJ President Kelvin Lewis entreated them to temper their emotions with courage and good behaviour referring to journalists as being “under siege”. The day itself had been declared Black Tuesday by SLAJ occasioned by a media shutdown that saw all but only two of the dozens of newspaper not hitting the newsstands. Radio stations across the country were also off air. The meeting resolved that a news blackout on the activities of government be continued with a boycott of the weekly government presser. In a press release, SLAJ thanked all editors, radio station managers and proprietors “for their cooperation and support in Tuesday’s very successful solidarity media shutdown”. The association also thanked the newspaper vendors “for their solidarity stance in respect of our action. We say a special kudos to our gallant members of SLAJ, who have solidly stood by the Executive during these trying times. We appreciate your show of support.” The release also urged SLAJ members to stay peaceful and law abiding.”Our protest against Sierra Leone’s repressive anti-press freedom laws and the deliberate harassment of our members by the police on the orders of state officials continues.” (C) Politico 30/10/13
