Wednesday, February 21, 2007

For Publishing Pornographic Photos Gov't Orders Publisher Arrested


The Liberian Government has ordered the arrest of the Publisher of the Independent Newspaper, Mr. Sam O. Deam for publishing in his newspaper pornographic photos of Mr. Willis Knuckles, Minister of State for Presidential Affairs yesterday.

The government at the same time has ordered the Liberian National Police to arrest anyone in the city and its environ caught in possession of these photos.

The Commissioner of the Criminal Investigation Division of the Liberian National Police, Steven Zargo yesterday told a local radio that the paper's Publisher was wanted for violating Section 18.1 of the Penal Code of Liberia.

The code prohibits the dissemination of obscene materials without minimizing the risk of exposure to children under sixteen.

Commissioner Zargo also said the Police would meet the leadership of the Press Union of Liberia on the matter.

Following this pronouncement by the police yesterday evening, plain clothes security officers picked up Mr. Dean while on his way home last evening, and taken to an unknown location.

Speaking on the issue the President of the Press union of Liberia, Mr. George Barpen confirmed that the management of the paper has committed some ethical transgression in its journalistic performance, but said the government was too fast have ordered the arrest Mr. Dean instead of the union taken its stance to deal with the issue of ethical transgression on the part of the paper's Publisher.

Details will follow in our subsequent publication

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