CHANNEL 4 CREW FACE ESPIONAGE CHARGE

A FOUR-MAN team working on a Channel 4 documentary on African affairs have been charged in a Liberian court with espionage and criminal design.
In a hearing held yesterday a four-man film crew including two Britons were indicted whilst working for London based Insight news television on a documentary commissioned by Channel 4.
Channel 4 has stated that the crew had the correct documentation and permission required to film the documentary.
Varney Sherman the men’s lawyer told Channel 4 News that Liberian Law had been violated because they had not had access to legal advice at every stage of the proceedings.
However, Channel 4 insist that the men are innocent of all the charges and expressed concern and disappointment that they had been indicted.
In a statement Channel 4 said the four men had been charged with espionage and criminal design and transferred to Monrovia’s main prison.
The statement said: “The channel is worried by this development given its complete confidence that investigations will prove they are entirely innocent of the charges made against them.
“The film crew entered Liberia with the correct visas and has received written permission from the Liberian Ministry of Information to film in the country.
“The channel continues work with legal support on the ground in Liberia in co-ordination with British consular officials towards a rapid and satisfactory conclusion of this situation.”
Charges were filed against each person in the team, which includes two Britons, a South African and a Sierra Leonean, after authorities reviewed their videotapes and found material that they described as damaging to the Liberian Government and the security of the state.
Channel 4 spokesman Matt Baker identified the arrested men as award winning Sierra Leonean cameraman Sorious Samura, British director, David Barrie, British cameraman Tim Lambon and South African second cameraman Gugu Radebe.
Liberia’s deputy information Minister Milton Teahjay claimed the crew had filmed without permission and were planning to broadcast unsubstantial claims that the Liberian state was involved in gun running and diamond smuggling.
The group were arrested late on Friday night at their Monrovia hotel by a team of police officers led by Police Chief Paul Mulbah.
Mulbah said that during the search of the journalist’s rooms police found information that raised eyebrows but he did not elaborate.
Before their arrest, staff from the police Criminal Investigation Division had searched the crew's rooms and taken away tapes containing materials filmed during their nearly three week stay in Liberia.
At that time a senior police official had said they were taking the tapes for examination and that the team would be called for questioning if anything sensitive was found.
The team were working on a documentary commissioned by Channel 4 into African affairs. The documentaries concerning issues in Liberia, Mauritania, Mali and Angola, each look at different themes in the countries visited.
It is understood that the Liberian documentary strand was to examine issues that included allegations about diamond smuggling.
While legal efforts to free the team continue, Foreign Office Minister Peter Hain has also called for the crews immediate release.
He said: “Freedom of the press is a basic principal of international human rights. I urge the Liberian Government to drop all charges and release the journalists immediately.”
The British Honorary Consul in Monrovia is monitoring the case.
A Channel 4 spokesperson said a lawyer from Insight News would also be joining in the efforts to have the men freed.