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The Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the ruling All Peoples Congress (APC), Comrade Cornelius Deveaux, in his capacity as de- facto Publicity Scribe of the Party, on Monday 18th May 2015 formally lodged complaint against the Unity Newspaper for publishing an article he described as a real ”inciteful journalism” to the Independent Media Commission (IMC).
Mr. Deveaux in the complaint letter piqued: ”the front page story headlined: “Who Killed Kainde Bangura? Ungrateful APC Has Blood On Its Head”, and published in the Unity newspaper of Monday 18th May 2015”, was a calculated ploy by the Unity paper to incite, mislead and that it was intended to paint a negative picture of the party in the eyes of right thinking Sierra Leoneans.
Deveaux averred: ”I write in my capacity as Deputy National Publicity Secretary I of the All Peoples Congress to register a complaint against the opposition SLPP Unity newspaper for publishing an inciting and misleading article against the All Peoples Congress.”
The cock and bull story, Mr. Deveaux pointed out has the propensity to subject the party to public ridicule.
”The party finds extremely worrying the following assertions made in the article,” Mr. Deveaux said in the strongly worded complaint letter, furthering stating certain key fallacious assertions the newspaper made.
He dilated on the fallacies: “claims that the APC is certainly responsible for the death of Kainde Bangura is very malicious,”; ”the paper’s claim that the money which the APC gave to the bereaved family was described as ‘APC Blood Money’ and that Kainde Bangura’s expulsion from the APC was ‘unjustifiable”.
Comrade Deveaux noted the above claims made by the paper are all baseless with a clear picture of their sinister plans to undermine the APC Party.
The current vicious attack of the opposition SLPP newspaper, Cornelius Deveaux said is also a justification for every suspecting person in the country to know that the Unity Newspaper is only adding voice to the main opposition Sierra Leone Peoples Party which has demonstrated to be irresponsible in their actions.
”The party also notes that the content is not an example of good journalism as it one sided, with no identifiable source nor an attempt made to balance the story which is in contradiction of the IMC Media Code of Practice,” he said, adding, the APC like any other political institution in the country has right to reply. He said the APC is a national party which draws its strength from the common man and woman in the street, adding, the Party since inception has built its image based on her unique style to care for its loyalists devoid of their status, religion, or any other consideration. This, however, he confidently say, has made the APC the solution for the socio-economic and political challenges in the country.
While concluding, Mr. Deveaux challenged the Unity Newspaper cannot justify their claims, hence called on the IMC to use provisions in the IMC Code of conduct so that APC’s image cannot be dented by political rogues for their own selfish reasons. He rested his case by re-echoing the APC as a political institution is entitled to dignity which the IMC has the constitutional responsibility to protect. The IMC has acknowledged receipt of the letter of complaint as at press time last evening.
