Interior Minister Yankuba Sonko has asked journalists to avoid publishing false information about people, saying he’s been accused of smoking cannabis.
“I have seen somebody made mention of, yes I have drunk. I have never drink in my life. For somebody to say I used to fell down in the street? That person did not know me. That I have smoked cannabis. I have never in my life… So what sort of journalists are we talking of, what sort of information are we… And people are publishing that?” the interior minister said in Bijilo on Friday during a news conference on the country’s security sector reform programme.
According to Sonko, a former police chief, “what we’re seeing now is not healthy for your profession and also for the nation”.
“People sit at their homes and write anything because of democracy. Yes, you have a right to express your opinion but at least take reasonable steps to investigate what happened,” he said.
“There are some news media that I’m not mentioning now. Because what they’re saying, I will be part of something and they’re saying a wrong thing in that thing. Imagine if I am in this meeting and something is said here, it’s obvious to me about what is said here
“It’s only in a peaceful atmosphere that you can operate. I witness the impasse here and journalits were not out. So let us pray for peace and stability in this country,” he added.
