Dakar — The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on Chadian authorities to permit the privately owned Le Visionnaire newspaper to resume operations after it was suspended from publishing for three months over a report into government mismanagement.

Two senior staff were also banned from practicing journalism because they did not have press identity cards.

"Chadian authorities must lift their suspension of Le Visionnaire and refrain from using press accreditation as an instrument of censorship," said Angela Quintal, head of CPJ's Africa program, in New York. "Political leaders and government officials should be able to respond to media criticism without trying to silence the press."

On October 4, Chad's regulatory High Authority for Media and Audiovisual (HAMA) suspended Le Visionnaire, its publishing director Christian Allahdiguissem, and editorial consultant Romingar Bendibaye over a September 9 report into allegations of embezzlement in the management of a World Bank grant by the urban planning minister, Mahamat Assileck Halata.

Halata filed a complaint with HAMA, which said that the authors of the report "did not provide any evidence of their allegations" and that "the disputed article contains insulting and defamatory language."

Citing Chad's press law, HAMA banned Allahdiguissem and Bendibaye from any "journalistic activity" until they obtain professional journalist identity cards, which the law defines as "mandatory for any journalist working in a media organization."

Le Visionnaire's owner Judah Allahondoum told CPJ that the newspaper has appealed the decision.

CPJ's calls to request comment from the urban planning ministry and HAMA's president Abderamane Barka went unanswered.