Three men beat Wremongar Joe, a journalist with the radio station Prime FM, in Buchanan, some 60 miles (100 kilometres) southeast of the capital Monrovia, on May 7, 2016, after the journalist refused to delete a video of a brawl between a lawmaker and other spectators during a football match, according to media reports.
Joe told the independent news website FrontPageAfrica that his mobile phone was smashed and that he lost US$540 when three men, who claimed to be working for the lawmaker, beat him after he refused to delete a video of the incident. FrontPageAfrica reported that the lawmaker on May 9, 2016, told a local radio station that he deliberately smashed Joe’s phone, adding: “I’m proud to say that I damaged his phone.” On Friday, May 13, 2016, however, the independent daily New Dawn reported that the lawmaker denied ordering the attack on the journalist.
Joe told FrontPageAfrica that he planned to press charges against his alleged attackers.