Sidiq Asemota, a judicial reporter of privately-owned Daily Observernewspaper, was on July 11, 2012 released from prison custody after being detained for a day at the Mile II State Central prison for contempt of court. On July 10, Asemota was arrested at the premises of the Banjul High Court on the orders of Justice Emmanuel Nkea, the presiding judge.
The Media Foundation for West Africa’s (MFWA) sources reported that the journalist before his release appeared before the Court to answer questions about his July 9 publication captioned ‘Two sentenced for forgery”in which he misreported the facts of the case. The sources said, Asemota, apologized to the court and explained that he got the story from the charge sheet given him by the Director of Public Prosecution of the Court. “It has never been my intention to misinform the public, I have been doing this job for 20 years now,” he told the court.
Pa Malick Faye, managing editor of the Daily Observer who was present at the court was also quizzed, cautioned and discharged by Justice Nkea over an article he published in connection with the arrest. Faye, in reaction to Asemota’s arrest published an article labeling the court’s arrest and subsequent contempt charge as “shocking”.
For more information please contact :
Kwame Karikari (Prof)
Executive Director
MFWA
Accra
Tel: 233-30-22 4 24 70
Fax: 233-302-22 10 84
Email:[email protected],[email protected]
Website:www.mediafound.org