Burkinabe Journalist Jailed For Defaming Bertrand Traore

A Burkinabe journalist was on Tuesday handed a twelve-month prison sentence after being found guilty of defaming Aston Villa striker

Boureima Maïga, who serves as Communications Director at Salitas FC, was convicted by a magistrate’s court in the Burkina Faso capital, Ouagadougou.

He was also fined the equivalent of USD 2000 for accusing Traore of rejecting Burina Faso’s invite to take part in last two games against Niger and Algeria 2022 World Cup qualifiers.

Maiga questioned Traore’s lifestyle choices, him being overlooked for international selection and maybe worst of all – claimed the injury he was nursing is not a legitimate one.

The seasoned journalist, who was co-hosting a television programme, has been ordered to pay an equivalent of USD 850 as legal fees.

Traore had been expected to join camp for two matches but club doctors advised him to sit out due to a thigh injury whilst playing for his international side in October.

His lawyers defended him by calling out everything that Maiga said as ‘obvious accusations or lies’.

Maiga is set to appeal the court ruling, for the rant made on ‘Au Couer du Sport’ a sports show on the biggest TV station in the country ,at High Court in the coming days