MONROVIA – The Press Union of Liberia (PUL) has launched an investigation into allegations that Information Minister Jerolinmek M. Piah assaulted and intimidated journalist Franklin Doloquee during a press engagement in Nimba County.
On Monday, September 15, 2025, the PUL announced the formation of a three-member committee to probe the incident, which reportedly occurred on Saturday, September 13, in Sanniquellie. The committee is chaired by veteran journalist Torwon Solunteh-Brown and includes lawyer Bruce Boweh and civil society advocate Adama Kiatamba Dempster. The panel has until September 19 to submit its findings and recommendations to the union’s leadership.
According to accounts from Doloquee and multiple eyewitnesses, the altercation took place at the compound of Nimba County Superintendent Kou Meapeah Gono. Doloquee, who serves as OK FM 99.5’s correspondent in the county, had posed a question about the unexplained absence of Vice President Jeremiah Koung, who had been expected at the event but failed to attend. The inquiry reportedly angered Minister Piah, sparking the confrontation.
In a press release issued Sunday, September 14, OK FM management stated that Minister Piah forcibly seized Doloquee’s phone after demanding that he delete photos and videos recorded during the engagement. When the journalist refused, the minister allegedly deleted several images himself and has yet to return the device. Reports also suggest that the minister physically intimidated the journalist during the altercation.
Doloquee has since filed a formal complaint with the PUL, which condemned the incident and urged all parties to exercise professionalism and restraint while the inquiry is underway. In its statement, the PUL stressed that the integrity of journalism and the free flow of public information must be respected in a democratic society.
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