Teranga FM Director, others dragged to court

(THE POINT) The Managing Director of Teranga FM Radio Station, Ismaila Ceesay, Kebba Camara, a court reporter, Nfanlly Fadera and Abdoulie Mendy, both presenters at the said radio station, were on Monday dragged to the Brikama Magistrates’ Court for airing a “wrong report”.

Teranga FM is a community radio station, situated at Sinchu Alhagie village in the Kombo North district of the West Coast Region, that broadcasts news in Gambian languages.

The defendants were dragged to court in connection with a civil matter that involved one Sulayman Badjie, which was said to have been wrongly reported by the radio station.

When the case was called, the trial magistrate ordered to see their reports from January 2011 to date.

The court asked the director whether they have audio recordings, and the director said they only have file reports..

Mr Ceesay further said that they have filed records of news aired between 10 and 11 October 2011, adding that there was no report on 12 October.

According to Mr Ceesay, when they aired the story, Sulayman Badjie called him through someone’s phone complaining that the story was one-sided.

He said they made a rejoinder, and also apologized to the defendant, which he accepted.

He added that the plaintiff in that case, Sunkarr Ceesay, came to the radio, complaining about the rejoinder, but he said he told the plaintiff that they were not going to air the story again.

Mr Ceesay said the plaintiff then told him that they should not have apologized to the defendant.

The case was adjourned till 15 December 2011.