government of Cote d'Ivoire has sacked its chief of police following the cold-blooded murder of French radio journalist Jean Helene by a uniformed policeman in Abidjan. The government announced the move on Thursday night as the body of the Radio France Internationale's (RFI) correspondent in Cote d'Ivoire, was flown home on a French military aircraft. According to eye witnesses, police sergeant Theodore Sery Dago shot Helene at point blank range outside police headquarters on Tuesday night while the journalist was waiting to interview a group of opposition political activists who were about to be released after several days in detention. The policeman was disarmed by colleagues and arrested immediately after the incident. He appeared before a court martial in Abidjan on Friday, charged with murder.
| "Murder? Y'mean there's laws against that sort of thing? I didn't know..." |
Military prosecutor Ange Kessi, told reporters: "It is a very heinous crime which had no justification either military or moral....I can tell you that given the facts, he risks at least 20 years in prison."
| And just how long will Jean Helene be dead? |
The government said after a cabinet meeting on Thursday that General Adolphe Baby had been removed as Director General of the National Police following this incident and would be replaced by Colonel Yapo Kouassi. However, Internal Security Minister Martin Bleou was quick to deny suggestions that Sery Dago was acting under orders when he shot the journalist.
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