SANNIQUELLIE, Nimba County – FrontPage Africa has condemned Information Minister Jerolinmek M. Piah for allegedly assaulting its Nimba County correspondent, D. Franklin Doloquee, and confiscating his phone during a press engagement at Superintendent Kou Meapeah Gono’s compound on Saturday.
By Selma Lomax, [email protected]
The incident occurred while Doloquee and other journalists were interviewing Minister Piah. According to Doloquee, the confrontation began after he asked about the absence of Vice President Jeremiah Koung, who had been expected at the ceremony but failed to attend.
The question reportedly angered Minister Piah, who then demanded that the reporter delete photos and videos recorded during the interview. In an audio recording obtained by FrontPage Africa, the Minister can be heard ordering Doloquee to erase “every photo and video” from his phone. When the reporter refused, Piah seized the device and personally deleted several files.
As of the time of publication, the confiscated phone had not been returned.
FrontPage Africa’s Editor, Gerald C. Koinyeneh, condemned Minister Piah’s actions, calling them an abuse of power and a violation of press freedom.
“The Minister, of all people, should know better. It is not his place to demand that a journalist delete materials from his gadget. He acted beyond his bounds. It’s an abuse of power, and it sends out a bad image of the government,” Koinyeneh said.
“We are only demanding that he return our reporter’s phone and not repeat such shameful behavior.”
VP Koung Absent at Government Town Hall
Saturday’s town hall was the second held by the Unity Party-led government to update citizens on its work since taking office in January 2024. Several senior officials attended, outlining progress in their respective ministries and agencies.
The event was heavily promoted, with flyers displaying the photos of Vice President Koung, Minister Piah, and Nimba County Superintendent Kou Meapeah Gono. However, Vice President Koung failed to attend, and officials gave no explanation for his absence—a development that prompted Doloquee’s question during the interview.
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