Opposition Congress for Democratic Change, CDC Vice Standard Bearer and former world soccer legend George Oppong Manneh Weah on Monday ordered New Democrat Newspaper Reporter Boima J.V. Boima to delete a photo of a man hit by one of the CDC pick-up trucks.

Congress for Democratic Change is one of Liberia’s leading opposition political parties seeking state power.

The CDC entered Ganta, Nimba County on September 12 for a political campaign ahead of the October 2011 presidential and legislative elections.

The victim believed to be a commercial motorcyclist was left unconscious with blood oozing from his body. He was later rushed to a nearby hospital.

Journalist Boima captured the scene of the incident but was later summoned to the podium by Ambassador George Weah at the Ganta Sport pitch and subsequently asked to delete the photo or have his camera seized by the security guards.

According to journalist Boima, he thought he would have been beaten if he didn’t delete the photo in the presence of Amb. Weah and Standard bearer Cllr. Winston Tubman.

The situation comes less than a week when Cllr. Tubman settled score with the management of FrontPage Africa for the manhandling of two of its reporters by supporters of the CDC.

Reporter Boima J.V. Boima was part of a team of journalists from four news outlets taken to Nimba County by the Canadian based Journalist for Human Rights.

Since the start of campaign on July 5, 2011, several Liberian journalists have been brutalized by either by political party supporters or aspirants themselves. The Press Union of Liberia and other media development organizations have condemned the act intimidating and harassing journalists as it has the ability to deny the general public of acquiring needed information.

In September 2010, Liberia became the first West African Country have a Freedom of Information law.

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