Benin: Authorities interrupt RFI transmission, summon correspondent

Media professional groups in Benin are accusing the country’s authorities of halting the transmission of Radio France International (RFI), on August 2, 2010 and denying the population access to a programme on corruption allegations against President Boni Yayi.

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).

The Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA)’s correspondent in Benin reported that RFI had gone off air for  about  14  hours  on  August 2,  following  a broadcast  on   demands  from Members  of Parliament(MP)  for  President Yayi to be tried on charges relating  to perjury and abuse of  office.

About 50 of the 83 MPs in the country’s parliament have accused President Boni of corruption. They claimed President Boni has offered an illegal assistance to Investment Consultancy and Computering Services, an insurance company, which was reported to have funded his campaign.

The correspondent said although the HAAC boss, Nata, expressed his disproval of the RFI’s broadcast, it denied interfering with the station’s transmission.

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)