Gambian Journalist Faces Libel Charges

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Gambian Journalist Faces Libel Charges

Thursday, 12 January 2012 01:22

(JollofNews) - Police prosecutors in the Gambia have charged a journalist with the Daily News with libel.

Mamadou Lamin Jallow’s indictment was in connection with a January 4th story he authored which alleged that a local chief gave a hajj ticket to his girlfriend which was donated to one of his constituents by the country's president, Yahya Jammeh.

The chief, Mamadou Lamin Baldeh, had strongly denied the allegations. MOMODOU_S._JALLOW

Jallow was arrested and detained at the Basang Police Station together with one Boto Fatajo before being released on bail.

Reacting to Jallow’s arrest, the editor-in-chief of Daily News, Saihou Jammeh described the act as a serious attack on press freedom.

“The charges are not only bogus, they are out of place in this particular case,” he told JollofNews.

According to him, the story was fair, balance and written without any malice.

“I cannot really understand why state prosecutors are repeatedly going after Daily News reporters,” he said. “In two years of existence, this is the fourth or fifth time that we are being taken to court.”

Far from being discouraged by all this, Mr Jammeh warned that “no amount of threat will make us compromise the principles in which the paper is rooted”.
Written by Abdoulie John

Comments

0 #3 2012-01-16 21:35

Thanks for that Chris...Your previous concerns and advice were duly noted.

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+1 #2 2012-01-16 12:24

Libel was criminalised in December 2004. Defamation is described in the UK as any statement that expose a person to hatred, ridicule, or contempt; cause the person to be shunned or avoided; lower the person in the estimation of right-thinking members of society generally; or disparage the person in his/her business, trade, office, or profession.

And unlike the UK where journalists often use public interest as a defence, there is nothing like that in The Gambia. What we have to look at in this particular story, was what was the motive behind its publication. Was the story accurate, fair and published without malice?

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