Monrovia – The Managing Editor of the Hot Pepper Newspaper, Philibert Browne, is being detained at the Monrovia Central Prison pending prosecution in a US$1.5 million libel lawsuit filed by Bong County lawmaker, Prince Moye.
Report by Kennedy L. Yangian – [email protected]
Browne was picked up on Friday afternoon at his Front Street Office by a sheriff and briefly taken to the Civil Law Court at the Temple of Justice before being remanded at the Monrovia Central Prison around 5PM under the escort of a lone police officer.
Cllrs. Sylvester Rennie and Syrenius Cephas, lawyers representing the detained editor, made a last-minute attempt to secure a bond but to no avail, as his arrest was made evening hours when Judge Yussif Kaba was out of the court.
Editor Browne showed no sign of regret for his arrest as he was in a jovial mood while on his way to jail. He did not made any official statement to the press on his arrest and detention but told reporters at “Jail house is for Journalists.”
Representative Moye sued Browne over a news story in the Hot Pepper on October 4, 2016 under a banner headline: “Bong County Representative rapes 14-year-old child”, depicting the photograph of the Bong County District #2 lawmaker.
Court record in the possession of FrontPage Africa also named Alfred Togbah, publisher of the People newspaper, Jah Johnson also of the Hot Pepper and Windell McIntosh of the Margibi County of being part of the lawsuit.
In his complaint to the Civil Law Court, Rep. Moye, represented by Cllr. Arthur Johnson, said he was a member of the current [53rd] Legislature who had earned for himself a good reputation, slamming Browne for being a member of a group of blackmailers and publishers of libelous stories.
Cllr. Johnson indicated in his complaint that Jah Johnson, one of those named in the lawsuit, was also another member of the blackmail scheme with other co-defendants purposely engaged in defaming the good reputation of Rep. Moye by publishing the injurious stories of rape against his client for the sole purpose to cause him serious embarrassment, inconvenience emotional and mental anguish.
Co-defendant McIntosh has been considered as the mastermind of the blackmail scheme against Moye, who had made several “unfounded” stories against the complaint in several newspapers, intended to defame the lawmaker for their political reasons.
Cllr. Johnson continued that on Wednesday, September 28, 2016 Vol. 4.No.70 Edition of the People newspaper, co-defendant Alfred Togbah and Wendell McIntosh published the story on the back page of his (Togbah) newspaper captioned: “Lawmaker allegedly rapes teenager girl”- Victim’s mother vows to pursue legal action.
“Defendant in the above entitled cause of action to the amount of US$1 million, one one-half times thereof being US$1.5 million to cover principal and costs of these proceedings…” the writ of attachment read.
FrontPageAfrica has reliably learned that McIntosh, one of those named in the writ, escaped as he was being brought to court by a sheriff.
This is the second time that Editor Brownee, who formerly operated the National Chronicle newspaper, faced such dilemma as the Government of Liberia closed the Chronicle in August 2014 over series of news stories which alleged that a group of Liberians were planning to form a new government following accusations of corruption and misrule by the President Ellen Johnson led administration.
Police officers forcibly stormed into the newspaper’s Carey Street offices.
However, though the Supreme Court ordered the reopening of the paper for illegal closure by the government, the National Chronicle ceased to exist thereafter.