Newspaper's chairman released

The chairman of Liberia's The News newspaper, Wilson Tarpeh, was released at the weekend, a diplomatic source in the capital Monrovia confirmed to IRIN on Tuesday. "No comments have been made by either the police or by Mr Tarpeh himself since his release," the source said. It is not possible to know the reason for his arrest and detention, the source said, adding that the newspaper's offices remained closed. Tarpeh was picked up last Tuesday by plain-clothes police who took him to Liberia Police headquarters before being moving him to the National Security Agency offices for interrogation, the PanAfrican News Agency (PANA) reported. Offices of The News and another paper, the Monvoria Guardian, were closed the same day. The pro-state Radio Liberia International (RLI) quoted Assistant Finance Minister for Revenue, George Howe, as saying last Tuesday that the decision was taken due to the failure of the two media houses to settle their tax obligations. Calling for Tarpeh's release, as well as the reopening of the offices of the two newspapers, the media watchdog, Reporters Sans Frontieres (RSF) last Thursday said the newspapers "are trying to survive and they cannot pay their taxes to the government".