Sierra Leone: Man on trial for WhatsApp message about President Koroma

A Sierra Leonean man Mamoud Tim Kargbo is on trial for a WhatsApp message that referred to the President as a “wounded beast”.

Tim Kargbo has been charged with the following five counts; (1) calling a person by description other than his name contrary to section 3(4) of the Public Order Act (POA) No. 46 of 1965, (2) Knowingly publishing a false defamatory libel contrary to section 26 of the POA No. 46 of 1965, (3) Knowingly publishing a false defamatory libel contrary to section 26 of the POA No. 46 of 1965, (4) Defamatory Libel contrary to section 27 of the POA No.46 of 1965 and (5) Defamatory Libel contrary to section 27 of the POA.

A month ago it seems a WhatsApp message including these two lines was sent from Tim Kargbo’s phone:

“President Koroma is a very strong suspect in the murder of the bodyguard. President Koroma at this point is a wounded beast who can do anything to remove the pressure off his back.”

Tim Kargbo says that he did not know he was breaking the law when he sent the message and that it was not he who had originally wrote the message but a Sierra Leonean man based in the US.

Magistrate Kamanda who heard the case in court No. 1 denied Tim Kargbo bail. Court has been adjourned until April 8th 2015.

Na di wod dat oh mi fambul dem…pohtoh pohtoh don catch faya. Social Media Police noh di sleep. 

Source: Awoko