Mr Laurent Akoun, the Secretary-General of the Ivorian People’s Party (FPI), has been sentenced to?six?months’?imprisonment for? “disturbing public order’’.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Akoun was sentenced on Friday in Abidjan.
Former Ivorian President Laurent Gbagbo was the founder and leader of FPI until he was arrested in April, 2011 for refusing to hand over power after losing?the last?presidential election.
The presiding Judge, Braman Kone, said the party’s secretary was found guilty of making “inflammatory remarks that could lead to public disorder’’.
He said the remarks could be linked to the rise of tension in Cote d’Ivoire and the incessant attacks that led to the death of 11 soldiers and many civilians.
Akoun’s counsel, Toussaint Dako, said the verdict was “politically motivated’’, and acknowledged that the defence would appeal against the judgment.
NAN reports that Akoun had addressed newsmen on Thursday, Aug. 23, 2012 on the incessant attacks in the country, which includes the one on the FPI headquarters.
He had gone on to fault the government’s position that the attacks were motivated by Gbagbo's supporters.
Akoun was arrested on Sunday, Aug. 25 and was held by the Ivorian gendarmerie, until he was moved to a central prison on Tuesday.
Gbagbo’s party had on Thursday called for dialogue as the?friction between the supporters of Gbagbo and President Alassane Ouattara lingered.(NAN)