Benin: Authorities “gag” media on corruption allegations

The authorities in Benin on August 3, 2010 threatened to deal with both local and foreign media in the country, that fail to abide by ethics of the profession, especially in the recent corruption allegations leveled against President Boni Yayi.

More than half of the country‘s members of parliament have linked PresidentYayi to a corruption allegations. They claimed he has offered an illegal assistance to Investment Consultancy and Computering Services (ICC), an insurance company, which was reported to have funded his campaign.

The Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA)’s correspondent in Benin reported  that,  a  statement   issued   by  the authorities  after an extraordinary cabinet meeting said  that the government  was  ready to  provide  the  necessary information  regarding   the matter.

The statement emphasized that the relevant authorities will deal with any media house that breeches the ethics of the profession. 

The correspondent said the threat came in the wake of demands from Members of Parliament (MP) for President Yayi to be tried on charges relating to “abuse of authority and perjury”. 

 On August 2, 2010 the authorities halted  the transmission of Radio France International (RFI)  in the  country for about 14 hours, after RFI had  announced that  it would  discussed  the  MPs demand  on its popular  talk show programme « Appels sur l’actualite » on August 3. Raïssa Gbédji,  RFI’s correspondent in Cotonou, the capital, was summoned for interrogation by Théophile Nata, the president of the media regulatory body, Higher Authority for Audiovisual Broadcasting and Communication (HAAC).

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: mfwa@africaonline.com.ghThis e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it , alerts@mediafound.org

- August 06, 2010 by Media Foundation For West Africa

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Source: www.mediafound.org/index.php (accessed on 06.08.2010)