SANNIQUELLIE, Nimba County – FrontPage Africa has condemned Info Minister Jerolinmek M. Piah for allegedly assaulting its Nimba County correspondent, D. Franklin Doloquee, and confiscating his cellphone throughout a press engagement at Superintendent Kou Meapeah Gono’s compound on Saturday.
By Selma Lomax, [email protected]
The incident occurred whereas Doloquee and different journalists had been interviewing Minister Piah. In line with Doloquee, the confrontation started after he requested in regards to the absence of Vice President Jeremiah Koung, who had been anticipated on the ceremony however didn’t attend.
The query reportedly angered Minister Piah, who then demanded that the reporter delete pictures and movies recorded through the interview. In an audio recording obtained by FrontPage Africa, the Minister will be heard ordering Doloquee to erase “each photograph and video” from his cellphone. When the reporter refused, Piah seized the machine and personally deleted a number of recordsdata.
As of the time of publication, the confiscated cellphone had not been returned.
FrontPage Africa’s Editor, Gerald C. Koinyeneh, condemned Minister Piah’s actions, calling them an abuse of energy and a violation of press freedom.
“The Minister, of all individuals, ought to know higher. It isn’t his place to demand {that a} journalist delete supplies from his gadget. He acted past his bounds. It’s an abuse of energy, and it sends out a nasty picture of the federal government,” Koinyeneh stated.
“We’re solely demanding that he return our reporter’s cellphone and never repeat such shameful conduct.”
VP Koung Absent at Authorities City Corridor
Saturday’s city corridor was the second held by the Unity Social gathering-led authorities to replace residents on its work since taking workplace in January 2024. A number of senior officers attended, outlining progress of their respective ministries and businesses.
The occasion was closely promoted, with flyers displaying the pictures of Vice President Koung, Minister Piah, and Nimba County Superintendent Kou Meapeah Gono. Nevertheless, Vice President Koung didn’t attend, and officers gave no clarification for his absence—a growth that prompted Doloquee’s query through the interview.
