Yarkpa Town, River Cess – Three local journalists in River Cess are facing criminal coercion charge over their broadcast of a scandal surrounding an earthmover that was waived to a Chinese construction company by a former lawmaker of the county.
Broadcasters Eric Opa Doue, Saturday Jududoe and Stanley Wrehdu of Echo Radio in Yarkpa Town hosted a number of talk shows in March over the scandal, which drew the attention of Superintendent Bismark Karbiah.
“You are whereby ordered to arrest the living body (ies) of Eric Doue, Saturday Jududoe and Standly Wrehdu, defendants, and forthwith bring them to Cestos City Magisterial Court, Cestos City, River Cess County,” the May 17 writ of arrest for the journalists read, “to answer charges of criminal coercion based upon the oath and complaint of the Republic of Liberia by and thru Victor Wilson…”
Former Representative Victor Wilson
Former Representative Wilson alleges in the writ of arrest that the journalists in their “publication” accused him of selling the earthmover to Chen Liberia Enterprise that is paving the 43.5-kilometer road in the Yarkpa Township.
The three journalists appeared before Magistrate Benjones D. Wheagbah, Sr. on Friday and they are to reappear on Monday.
Superintendent Karbiah told FrontPage Africa in a mobile phone interview on Sunday that he was looking forward to working with the with the River Cess County Attorney to represent the three journalists in court.
“It is almost like the journalists were doing our work,” Superintendent Karbiah said. “The journalists were concerned about government’s own role in it.
Superintendent Karbiah said he and other county authorities would sue Wilson for waiving the machine to the Chinese construction company.
“As far as I am concerned, those that took the machine out of River Cess will be investigated,” he told this reporter. “Whether they brought it back or not, the condition under which they took the machine to Monrovia is criminal in nature.”
“They fixed a factious document calling it a waiver,” he again lamented as he did when the news broke up in March. “The action there, for me, I have [a] serious problem with it.”
By Aaron Geezay, OK FM River Cess Correspondent.
