Côte d’Ivoire: When Saïd Penda finds out that defamation… comes at a price
On July 18, 2025, the Abidjan-Plateau Court of First Instance was set to hear a key episode in the legal showdown between the EBOMAF group and the highly publicized figure Saïd Penda. However, like a poorly scripted B-series drama, the hearing ended in a postponement. The reason? The prosecution requested an adjournment. The new date: November 28, 2025. Patience is a virtue, they say… or is it a calculated strategy of delay?
This case is far from a mere war of words. It involves allegations of defamation, public insults, false accusations, invasion of privacy, and endangerment of others. Serious charges. These accusations were filed by Patrice Kissi, communications officer for Mahamadou Bonkoungou, the head of EBOMAF, against a man known for his “investigative” work of questionable consistency.
Saïd Penda, no stranger to digital clashes and fiery videos fueled by spontaneous outrage, chose a more serious approach this time: he arrived in court as the picture of a “model defendant”, accompanied by a lawyer, apparently determined to add a touch of legitimacy to a posture that has lost credibility. Too little, too late? That seems to be the general opinion, tired of these solo acts where freedom of speech is used as a shield for personal attacks.
But the judicial saga doesn’t stop there. A second hearing awaits the self-proclaimed investigative journalist on July 25, this time on a direct summons. A man more comfortable in studios than in courtrooms, he will now have to face a fresh wave of accusations.
At this point, it’s hard not to see in these repeated cases a reflection of a journalism gone astray—where investigation blurs into score-settling, and scoops morph into slander. The Penda case is fast becoming a walking caricature of the excesses of a certain brand of media activism.
For the Ivorian judiciary, it’s a tightrope walk: balancing press freedom with the need to rein in blatant abuse is no easy task. But a strong message is expected. Because this is no longer just about one man and his antics, but about the very credibility of public discourse. See you in November… unless another twist emerges.
