The decision was taken after the Media Complaints Committee (MCC) found the media outlets guilty of violating several professional and ethical principles in relation to their reportage of the alleged sex scandal involving the French Ambassador to Liberia, Gerald Larome.

The New Dawn, The New Republic, Women Voices, and National Chronicle newspapers last week carried reports of allegations by two young Liberian girls who said the French envoy in the West African country had hired their services for sex and failed to pay them off.

The allegations prompted a swift and strongly worded response from the French embassy which demanded action against the newspapers for their ‘‘mercenary journalism’’.

For reporting “wild allegations with reckless disregard for the truth”, the committee found them to be “biased” and in violation of five articles of the code of conducts of the Press Union of Liberia (PUL).

The case is seen by many as threatening Liberia’s relation with France. And the government has not taken it lightly either.

The French embassy was so annoyed with the reports on the newspapers that it called on the ministries of Justice, Information and Foreign Affairs to take action against the media outlets concerned.

The ambassador denied the allegations at a press conference following the scandalous publications, and reportedly swore on the Bible.

The ensuing tension prompted a visit to the French embassy by Liberia’s Foreign Minister Levi Demmah, who sought to distance the government from reports of blackmail directed at the envoy.

Following a two-day hearing by the MMC, the four newspapers were found guilty of several violations and were fined each L$10,000 (Sh11,212).

They were ordered to pay the fines into the coffers of the press union within five days.

In addition, all four newspapers will carry on their respective editions an apology to the French ambassador for the article.

The case received wide attention last week, with the French diplomat being accused of sexually enslaving Liberian girls whom he had allegedly met at a popular local entertainment centre called ‘Red Lion’, in Monrovia.

MMC committee chairperson, Weade Kobbah Wureh said the matter was of “utmost concern”.

February 17, 2012 by Kemo Cham

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Source: www.nation.co.ke/News/africa/Papers+guilty+in+sex+scam+probe+/-/1066/1329724/-/il7ie9z/-/ (Accessed: 18.02.2012)