Two media workers are being held by the Liberian authorities in connection with article that linked President Ellen Sirleaf Johnson to an arms deal with persons the newspaper described as Guinean dissidents.

The two are Cyrenus Cephas, publisher, and Michael Makinde, managing director of Semarco Printing Press, printers of the privately-owned Monrovia-based Plain Truth newspaper were rounded up separately and have since been in detention.

In its December 9 issue of the newspaper reported that the Guinean authorities were angry with President Sirleaf Johnson, who they have accused of supplying arms to the dissidents.

Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA)’s correspondent reported that Makinde was picked up on December 12 while Cephas was arrested on December 14 after he had been invited by the security agencies.

At a media briefing on December 11, the country’s minister of Justice, Christina Tah, told journalists the two were needed to assist in investigations.

MFWA condemns the detention of the two and demands that they be granted bail immediately.

For more information please contact/:

Kwame Karikari (Prof)

Executive Director

MFWA

Accra

Tel: 233-21-24 24 70

Fax: 233-21-22 10 84

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Website: www.mediafound.org