Sierra Leone: Court Strikes Out Libel Case Against Shekito
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Concord Times (Freetown)
22 July 2008
Posted to the web 22 July 2008
Ben Samuel Turay
A case brought against President Koroma's press secretary Sheka Tarawalie (Shekito) by Awareness Times publisher Dr Sylvia Blyden has been squashed for want of solid premise, much to the disbelief and disappointment of the latter.
Heard in Court No. 6 presided by Magistrate Baiao, lawyer for the complainant filed a motion but the director of public prosecution Robin Mason stood up on behalf of the defendant, quoting section 66 (4) of the constitution to take over the prosecution and proffering no charges against the defendant.
The magistrate had no alternative but to close the case. He told the defendant to go back to his office and continue doing his job.
It could be recalled that solicitors Wednesday filed a lawsuit in the Freetown Magistrate court on behalf of Dr Sylvia Blyden whom they said has been libelled by Sheka Tarawallie (Shekito), press secretary to President Koroma, contrary to law.
The complaint had accused Shekito of publishing an article captioned: "THAT MISCHIEVOUS ARTICLE IN AWARENESS TIMES," on the internet with defamatory matters against Dr. Blyden, the complainant.
The summons quoted the article dated Friday 11th July 2008 as saying: "For you to formally tell me about your affair with John Benjamin S.L.P.P. strongman and former Minister of Finance clearly tells the story of where you are coming from." However, the defendant said he has always stood by his words claiming that he had had telephone conversations with the complainant during which she told him about her relationship with people.
"I stand by the article and I believe what I wrote were all true. She told me about her life and this could be on record," he said.
Meanwhile, both parties are due today before the Independent Media Commission following a complaint made against a July 10, 2008, Awareness Times front page story titled 'APC Violence Condemned From Zimbabwe' in which the newspaper stated that it received emails from Zimbabweans, one of which described President Koroma as a "disgrace to Africa".
Press secretary Tarawalie responded in a press release challenging the paper to produce the said emails.
This culminated to an exchange of a series of emails wherein the press secretary indicated that Dr. Blyden had earlier told him about her amorous relationship with former SLPP Minister of Finance John Benjamin and another affair that failed with an APC strongman thereby questioning her independence.
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The Press Secretary pursued the matter with the Independent Media Commission while the newspaper publisher took him to court.
Read comments. Write your own.
She knows exactly what she is doing. It is the Government that is too blind to see the trap she laid for them.
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How can someone in her right mind sue aGovernment official??A Government official in Sierra Leone can never be prosecuted, and Sylvia Blyden should have known better.