⁃ In Margibi County
The Press Union of Liberia (PUL) says it is intensifying efforts to secure the release of two Liberian journalists, Elvis Gono of the Liberia Broadcasting System (LBS) and Philip Gbana of Classic FM, who have been detained in Kakata, Margibi County, since Monday, February 10, 2025. The journalists were arrested on charges of “Contempt of Court” after failing to produce a woman they had stood for as guarantor in a legal case.
The detention order was issued by Judge Golda A. Bona Elliot of the 13th Judicial Circuit Court. The woman in question, whose identity has not been disclosed, was initially arrested in September 2024 on allegations of damaging a vehicle’s windshield in a case linked to a murder investigation. At the time, she required guarantors to secure her release due to her pregnancy and illness, as her case was pending assignment for the November Term of Court.
Journalists Gono and Gbana, who also serves as the Public Relations Officer at the Kakata City Corporation, agreed to act as guarantors and pledged to ensure the woman’s appearance in court when required. However, according to Margibi County Attorney Deddeh Wilson, the journalists failed to produce the woman despite being contacted by the court. The journalists, however, deny ever receiving such communication from the court.
On Wednesday, February 12, 2025, the woman, now a breastfeeding mother, was brought to court by her family. She was subsequently remanded at the Kakata Central Prison, where Gono and Gbana are also being held. Her infant child was handed over to the grandmother for care.
The PUL is now working diligently to complete the necessary legal paperwork to secure the journalists’ release, allowing them to return to their families and professional duties. The union has expressed gratitude to Judge Golda A. Bona Elliot and her staff at the 13th Judicial Circuit Court, as well as Assistant Minister for Corrections and Rehabilitation at the Ministry of Justice, Atty. Gabriel Ndupellar, for their cooperation during the efforts to resolve the matter.
The PUL has assured the public that it will provide further updates as soon as journalists Gono and Gbana are released.
