There are reports from Guinea indicating that the president of the transition period helped himself to corrupt millions of Guinea’s francs with aims of influencing the senior employees of the media houses that endorsed him. This explosive revelation was made this week by the commissioners from the HAC, the body that regulates the media in the country.
These exposures have brought a sorts of darker over the media sector especially given the fact that the sector has been subjected to many sanctions form the authorities in the recent past over one or the other vices. The two commissioners who made the statements have been suspended by the HAC and the media groups that include Djoma Media, Hadafo Medias and Fréquence Médias have seek legal action for defamation.
During a live interview in Kankan, Djéné Diaby and Tawel Camara unveiled these allegations against the media executves of Guinea. They opined that the breach of the said so-called agreement is the reason for the rescission of licenses of the main radio, and television stations in the country in May this year.
The accused media group leaders were not going to take the statements by the two commissioners lying down and released a joint statement to the effect that they would seek a defamatory suit against the two in addition to threats.
The HAC itself has described as improper and unlawful these “defamatory remarks,” and sought to dissociate itself with the suspended commissioners largely on grounds of “gross misconduct. ”
“I assume they wouldn’t make such claims without evidence. I believe the state has competent bodies to conduct investigations: That from where come this money? To whom was delivered, by whom? And to make necessary conclusions, guided by these motives, Kalil Oularé said.
The press sector in Guinea is left questioning: are these declarations mere empty words or are they a way in which institutions try to apply, albeit in a clumsy manner, the principle of clarity/transparency? It remains to be seen how things pan out in the coming days as more people come forward with the allegations.