FrontPage Africa

Speaker Richard Koon

The Press Union of Liberia (PUL) has issued a strongly worded rebuke of House Speaker Richard Nage Koon after he threatened to "jail" journalists who record proceedings at the body before a quorum was reached. The PUL said the Speaker’s remarks demonstrated the "dangerous" mindset of some public officials in the country and were an attempt to "weaponize state power".

The union said every open session in the chamber of the House of Representatives "bears the nature of privileged information, legally allowing journalistic coverage under Article 15 of the Constitution of Liberia," guaranteeing a free press.

Meanwhile, ahead of the start of Thursday’s session, Speaker Koon formally apologized to the press corps.