Togo: Three newspapers in court for criminal defamation

Three managing editors of privately-owned newspapers in Lome, the capital of Togo will on June 9, 2010 reappear before a Magistrate Court over criminal charges relating to “false publication” and “criminal defamation”.

The journalists, Zeus K. Aziadouvo of  Liberté , Jean-Baptiste K. D. Dzilan of  Forum de la Semaine and  Glakpé  K. Olivier of  the  Journal Le Correcteur  have  since  made  two appearances  in  court  after they were arraigned on  May 19.

The Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA)’s correspondent reported that the trial of the editors followed a complaint filed by the country’s Inspector General of Police (IGP) over a May 8 publications that the editors carried in their respective newspapers. The newspapers had  blamed  two  policemen of  the motor traffic unit  of allegedly causing  the deaths  of   a commercial motor rider  and his  female  passenger, after the rider had committed  an offence by jumping  a traffic light.

The correspondent  said  the newspapers  in their  reports  quoted  unnamed  eyewitnesses  that  accused the police  of   pushing  the rider off  a moving bike  resulting  in his death  as well as that of the  female passenger. 

The police had since denied the accounts of the newspapers’ sources. The police said the man died as a result of overspeeding which resulted in him hitting his head against a pole. On the woman passenger, they said she was recovering from a shock. 

- June 04, 2010 bt MFWA

.................

Source: www.mediafound.org/index.php (accessed on 04.06.2010)