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Alert

Presidential bodyguards detain and harass four journalists

(CEMESP/IFEX) - On 13 June 2006, four local journalists were harassed and briefly detained at Liberia's State House, the Executive Mansion, by security personnel.

Journalists Abas Dulleh of the "New Democrat" newspaper, Patrick Honnah of Truth FM radio, Olando Zeongar of "Heritage" newspaper and Jallah Grayfield of the Catholic Radio Veritas were ordered detained by deputy Special Security Service (SSS) director Ashford Peal for attempting to authenticate reports of alleged dismissal of five senior SSS personnel.

The presidential bodyguards claimed that the journalists went beyond their limit by photographing a notice board at the Executive Mansion. The notice board had on it a memorandum dismissing five senior personnel of the SSS.

Though the Chief of Office staff in the Office of President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Morris Dukuly, was quoted later as apologizing to the journalists, the management of the Catholic-run Radio Veritas has threatened a news block-out on the Government of Liberia if security personnel continue to harass and intimidate its reporters.

Radio Veritas says two of its reporters, George Watkins and Jallah Grayfield, have been subjected to abuses by security personnel at the Executive Mansion and at Liberia's International Airport, respectively, within the last two weeks.