Liberian Referees Flog Sports Journalists

More than five members of the Liberia Football Referees Association headed by Stanley Konah last Friday physically attacked and assorted journalist Nathaniel Walker of NewDawn newspaper at the Antoinette Tubman Stadium or ATS in Monrovia.

Journalist Walker was at the ATS as part of his official duty to provide coverage of the ISSA league finals for his institution when Stanley Konneh and his group attacked him and damaged his equipment (a digital camera).

According to an official complaint filed to the president of the Sports Writers Association of Liberia or SWAL a copy of which is in possession of this paper, on the day of the incident, Konah instructed his men to flog him (Journalist Walker) on grounds that the young Journalist was blocking his (Konah) view, something Walker refuted in his complained.

He farther explained in his complain that as a result of Konnah and his collaborators action, he lost the amount of $200.00USD and his mini digital camera was as well damaged.

He said four of his colleagues including Kelvin Demmy of UNMIL Radio, Ben Morris of Radio VERITAS, Momo Siryon of the New Republic newspaper and Papie Kollie of Star Radio were also attacked when they tried to calm the situation.

The incident is being investigated by SWAL with serious concern, but we want all Journalists and Media Practitioners to condemn in the strongest term the flogging of our colleague as we will not tolerate the reoccurrence of such ugly and inhuman act by people calling themselves match officials or Referees.