VZCZCXRO6155
RR RUEHMA RUEHPA
DE RUEHCO #0927/01 2641501
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 211501Z SEP 06
FM AMEMBASSY COTONOU
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 8804
INFO RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 0977
RUEHZK/ECOWAS COLLECTIVE
RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 COTONOU 000927 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR AF/W:DBANKS, AF/PD:LBEDICHEK 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PHUM KPAO BN
SUBJECT:  JOURNALISTS DETAINED AFTER ALLEGEDLY DEFAMING PRESIDENT'S 
FAMILY 
 
 
¶1. (U) Summary:  Police arrested and jailed three journalists 
September 15 for violating the libel law and released them September 
¶18.  The three, from the newspaper La Diaspora de Sabbat, were 
deemed responsible for an article alleging that President Boni 
Yayi's elder son was mentally ill.  The government may take further 
action.  Another journalist was put in jail for separate articles, 
but also released September 19.  Most commentators concede the 
journalists violated Benin's code of professional ethics for 
journalists, but also complain their arrest was precipitous and did 
not follow the appropriate legal procedures for libel cases. 
Another journalist arrested in an unrelated case was released on 
September 19.  End Summary. 
 
Article About President's Son Triggers Arrests 
--------------------------------------------- - 
 
¶2. (U) On September 15 the newspaper La Diaspora de Sabbat published 
an article entitled "Hard Times in the Entourage of the Chief of 
State: Eldest Son of Yayi Boni in State of Dementia."  The article 
alleged that the President had brought his son back from the United 
States to help in affairs of state, but that the young man had lost 
his reason, and after efforts by traditional healers to cure him had 
failed, had been sent to a psychiatric clinic in Europe.  A 
prosecutor from the Tribunal of First Instance in Cotonou determined 
that the article was defamatory and ordered the arrest of Director 
of Publication Virgile Linkpon, Chief Editor Fulric Richard 
Couao-Zotti, and the author of the article, Judicael Mauroy 
Adikpeto.  They were jailed September 15 and released September 18. 
 
More Legal Steps Possible 
------------------------- 
 
¶3. (U) Various newspapers reported that there could be further legal 
action against the three.  They may be tried for libel and could 
face legal sanctions, including imprisonment, if found guilty. 
However, if President Yayi decides not to pursue the matter, they 
can simply publish a public retraction and apology, and the matter 
will be closed.  (NOTE: There were several cases under former 
President Kerekou where newspapers recanted after the office of the 
Presidency threatened legal action.  End Note.) 
 
Journalists Were Wrong 
---------------------- 
 
¶4. (U) During a television program on government channel ORTB the 
evening of September 17, Edouard Loko, former president of the 
Office of Deontology and Ethics in Media (ODEM), stressed that the 
incident could have been avoided if the journalists had followed the 
professional code of ethics.  Loko added that the article was a 
serious offense, and he apologized to the President on behalf of all 
journalists in Benin. 
 
¶5. (U) Nevertheless, Loko warned that, if the journalists were 
detained for long, it would tarnish Benin's image as the best 
country in Africa in terms of freedom of the media. (The journalists 
were released the next day.) 
 
Irregular Procedure? 
-------------------- 
 
¶6. (U) Daily newspaper Le Matinal reported that the arrests were a 
departure from the proper legal procedure in a libel case; the 
reporters should have been ordered to appear for questioning and 
trial for defamation.  They should not have been arrested and jailed 
prior to questioning and a trial.  However, daily newspaper Le Point 
au Quotidien published a lengthy editorial warning reporters about 
violating the journalistic code of ethics.  It argued the three 
journalists had in fact violated the code, and that they should not 
be surprised at what had happened to them. 
 
A Paper With a Grudge 
--------------------- 
 
¶7. (SBU) The newspaper La Diaspora de Sabbat is reportedly owned by 
a Beninese reggae musician, Sabba Nazaire, who is based in Germany. 
Nazaire reportedly started the newspaper to get back at a 
high-ranking police official in the Kerekou administration who 
seized one of the vehicles he imported to Benin for not having gone 
through customs, and also to attack a former Minister under Kerekou 
who stole one of his wives.  Post's media contacts claim the 
newspaper specializes in defamatory articles; and allege it accepts 
money for either printing or suppressing the stories. 
 
Not the President's Son 
----------------------- 
 
 
COTONOU 00000927  002 OF 002 
 
 
¶8. (SBU) In addition, the person referred to in the article in La 
Diaspora de Sabbat is not one of the President's sons, but is 
apparently a daughter of his current (second) wife by a previous 
marriage.  The young lady, now studying in France and who has never 
held a position in her stepfather's administration, reportedly 
suffers from periodic depression. 
 
Another Reporter Jailed 
----------------------- 
 
¶9. (U) In a separate case, reporter Cyrille Saizonou of the 
newspaper Djakpata was arrested September 15 and held in jail until 
September 19.  He published one article alleging widespread 
corruption and theft of government funds in the police department, 
and another alleging that an unnamed Minister in the administration 
of former President Kerekou was a spy for a European company.  He 
was arrested after failing to provide any evidence to support the 
allegations. 
 
COMMENT 
------- 
 
¶10. (SBU) The public and media acknowledge that some reporters in 
the free-wheeling Beninese press (where individuals and various 
entities often pay editors and reporters to either run or suppress 
articles) sometimes crosses the line and may well be committing 
libel.  Nonetheless, prosecutors should abide strictly by legal 
procedures in investigating such cases.  Arresting or detaining 
journalists only draws attention to the irresponsible articles in 
low-circulation papers such as La Diaspora de Sabbat or Djakpata 
that few otherwise would read -- and risks making Yayi's 
five-month-old government look thin-skinned.  End Comment. 
 
BROWN