Gambia Alert Court convicts newspaper editor for publishing “false information”

Abdul Hamid Adiamoh, publisher and managing editor of Today, a privately-owned Banjul-based newspaper, who was accused of publishing “false information”, was on June 16, 2009 convicted and fined 50, 000 Gambian Dalasis (approx. 1,890 US$ )

Media Foundation for West Africa’s (MFWA) sources reported that should Adiamoh default in paying the fine, he would go to prison for six months.  

President Yahya Jammeh arrested Adiamoh, a Nigerian-born journalist on June 8 following a story the newspaper published about the dismissal of two ministers of state.

He was granted bail on June 15, after spending two days beyond the 72 hours that the 1997 Gambian Constitution stipulates.  

Following the arrest and the subsequent detention of Adiamoh, the newspaper on June 11, retracted the story, rendered apologies to the affected ministers and stopped further circulation of that particular edition.

Prof. Kwame Karikari

Executive Director

MFWA

Accra

Tel: 233 21 24 24 70

Fax : 233 21 221084

Website : www.mediafound.org

Email: mfwa@africaonline.com