By Nyema Nma, Jr.
The Secretary General of the former ruling party has congratulated the CEO of embattled Punch FM, Patrick Honnah, for his landmark legal victory over the CDC-led government.
Mr. Amos Tweh notes with grave concern the superfluous use of the courts to disenfranchise peaceful Liberians their rights to free speech and thoughts by the Weah-led government.
The Unity Party’s (UP) SG said for the last four years, the Weah-led government misused the courts through the former Solicitor General, Syrenius Sayma Cephus, to misguide the law in order to prevent perceived anti-government media institutions like the Punch FM from operating in the country under an ostentatious scheme of radio frequency inspection and regulation as well as license renewal.
In 2020, Henry Costa’s Roots FM was closed and its equipment were forcefully confiscated by the government on allegation that its license to operate has expired. The Roots FM was a critical media voice against the government.
According to many political critics, the closure of media institutions deemed pro-opposition radio stations was a political misstep by the government and a violation of the rights to free speech and of thoughts as well as opinions as enshrined in Article 15 of the 1986 Constitution of Liberia.
In Punch FM’s case, the Civil Law Court ruled that the action of the government was illegal and intolerant and that the government was relentless to ensuring that the rights of Mr. Honnah remain trampled upon despite his appeal at the Supreme Court.
“As in the words of William Cullen Bryant, ‘Truth, crushed to the earth shall rise again,’ the Supreme Court today upheld the ruling of the lower court and restored all rights and privileges of Mr. Honnah and his Punch FM,” Mr. Tweh said in a press statement on September 27, 2022 following the pronouncement of the verdict which was read by Chief Justice Sie-A-Nyene Youh at the Supreme Court.
“We congratulate Mr. Honnah and the Punch FM family for their landmark victory over the CDC-led government and call on the government to go and bow their heads in shame,” Mr. Tweh added.
The UP’s SG asserted, “Gone are the days when a government will succeed in suppressing free speech and freedom of the press in Liberia.”
Mr. Tweh called on the courts to expeditiously dispose of all cases of similar nature and restore the rights of other victims of the Weah-led bad governing scheme.
