(September 7, 2025): The Cestos City Magisterial Court in RiverCess County has dropped criminal coercion charge against one of two Liberian journalists accused of falsely publishing incriminating information against police officer Ojuku Weeks.
The decision to drop the charge against journalist Methuselah Gaye was made at the request of the State Prosecutor or County Attorney, Martin N. Tumoe, acting on behalf of officer Weeks, a private prosecutor.
Attorney-At-Law Tumoe informed the Court on Wednesday, 03 September 2025, that journalist Methuselah Gaye has been apologetic and remorseful unlike his colleague Eric Opa Doue since both journalists published the incriminating information against his person on 11 August 2025.
The Magistrate of the Cestos Magisterial Court Dixon Yeahgar has scheduled this Monday, 8 September 2025, for ruling into the criminal coercion charge against journalist Doue.
A formal hearing was conducted on 03 September 2025 where Attorney-At-Law Bruce Boweh represented both journalists, and informed the Court that the journalists were in error in their reportage.
Attorney Boweh is again travelling to RiverCess on today, Sunday, 7 September 2025, to represent the legal interest of journalist Doue at the request of the Press Union of Liberia (PUL).
The trip by Attorney Boweh is the third in less than a month since the journalists were first held on the charge of Criminal Contempt of Court by the Yarpah Town Magisterial Court, a charge that was later dropped after legal pleading by the PUL lawyer.
The PUL is hopeful that with the admission in Court by both journalists Gaye and Doue that the information published against officer Weeks was false and misleading the charge against Doue, who has since issued an apology and retraction, would also be dropped.
Doue through Attorney Boweh expressed his apology to officer Weeks for the publication of inaccurate information that linked him to being arrested with narcotics and acts of bribery.
Meanwhile, Attorney Boweh has recommended that going forward the PUL must sanction journalists who publish false and misleading information against the reputations of individuals as this constitutes a breach of the code of ethics and conduct for journalists.
The PUL is working to reform the National Media Council of Liberia, formerly the Grievance and Ethics Committee, responsible to investigate and recommend actions, including penalties against journalists found to be in violations of the ethical code and conduct of journalism.
It is also important to note that the PUL is concerned over the use of the criminal coercion provision of the Penal Law of Liberia to prosecute journalists, especially where the information has already been published rather than being a case of threatening to publish.
NOTE: The apology and retraction by journalist Eric Opa Doue can be found below, verbatim:
“PUBLIC NOTICE
RETRACTION AND APOLOGY
I, Eric Opa Doue, hereby issue this retraction concerning a publication I made on Monday, August 11, 2025, in which I alleged that Mr. Ojuku Weeks was arrested with drugs.
That information was false and unfounded. Mr. Weeks was not arrested with drugs. The person arrested on said date was Mr. Morris Doe and not Officer Ojuku Weeks, as was earlier published.
Accordingly, I retract the statement in its entirety and express my sincere apology to Mr. Weeks, his family, and associates for any harm, embarrassment, or inconvenience caused by the said publication.
Signed,
Eric Opa Doue”
Links to the publications are also below:
Eric Opa Doue – PUBLIC NOTICE RETRACTION AND APOLOGY On Monday,… | Facebook
Z-Mac LIB – PUBLIC NOTICE RETRACTION AND APOLOGY I, Eric Opa… | Facebook
Signed:
Julius Kanubah
President/PUL
