The Center for Media studies and Peacebuilding (CEMESP) in Liberia has condemned the attack and the destruction of broadcast equipment of a private radio station, Roots FM by unscrupulous individuals.
Roots FM, a station owned and operated by the widely listened to talk
show host Henry Costa was reportedly attacked by three armed men in the early
morning hours of January 31, 2019. The attackers held the station’s security
guard at gun point before destroying a range of broadcast equipment.
CEMESP Executive Director, Joseph described the act as a
calculated ploy to silence critical voices in Liberia. He then called on the
Liberian National Police to hasten the investigation and speedily bring the
perpetrators to justice.
The attack followed Costa’s January 30 airing of his popular breakfast talk-show, during which he vowed to go off air for one month if opposition political parties fail to peacefully protest to resist President George Weah’s unlawful agreements with foreign companies.
Many are of the view that this attack on the station is a reprisal from some angry supporters of the government of Liberia disturbed by series of disclosures about alleged illegal foreign deals, one being with a fishing company from Senegal awarded three hundred fishing licenses for five years. The Senegalese company will be allowed to catch forty thousand tons of fish from Liberia each year.
Regarding the attack on the station, Costa has been live on Facebook saying: “I do not think it is [a] government sanctioned attack, I just believe it is over zealous people in the government that have had too much of me and have decided to destroy my equipment”.
CEMESP in an alert to ifex, the Global Network Defending and Promoting Free expression, says the case has been reported to the Liberian National Police for investigation.