January 16, 2009

President Sirleaf Threatens the New Democrat Newspaper

(CEMESP/IFEX) - Liberia’s President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has threatened the New Democrat newspaper with Court action.

The lawyer representing the legal interest of President Sirleaf , in a citation to the management of the New Democrat, said the Liberian President had hired him to proceed with legal actions against the newspaper for printing the photograph of some of the President’s family members allegedly connected to an email scandal.

The lawyer Attorney-at-law Syrenius Cephus who is also publisher of the Plain Truth newspaper, said President Sirleaf complained about the January 12th 2009 edition of the newspaper, under the banner headline: “ Email Sandal Reports Unveil Intrigues and Fabrications” in which she accused the New Democrat of deliberately and intentionally printed the photographs of the President’s sister and brother-in-law, which according Cephus absolutely have nothing to do with the story.

The President according to the citation from her lawyer also accused the New Democrat of being on a calculated campaign to besmear the image of her family.

At a press conference held on January 13th 2009 the president threatened action against the New Democrat for the publication.

As` part of the alleged calculated smear campaign, the President contended, the New Democrat also in it January 12th edition published a story in which President sirleaf’s brother-in-law Estrada Benard allegedly received a USD 600.000 from a mobile phone company, based on findings from the Dunn committee.

The committee was constituted by President Sirleaf few months ago to investigate a corruption scam involving her former chief of office staff, Willis Knuckles.

Anthony Cephus who had cited the New Democrat to a conference scheduled for 3PM on January 16, 2009, is meanwhile demanding from the management of the New Democrat a full retraction of the story to be followed by a public apology or they would face the commencement of a legal battle.

But the Editor of the New Democrat Othello Garblah, told CEMESP that his newspaper stands by the publication and that they will not honor the invitation from the lawyer.

He said their publication is based on the Dunn committee report and that they are prepared to go to court.