Sabafon Cancels News Service
The Sabafon Corporation has halted the publication of its September Mobile News Service. Whilst the company officially refuses to comment on the reasons behind the decision, a source has stated that the split came about after the September 22 newspaper published libelous stories about the company.
Sabafon’s interpretation of the contract signed between it and the newspaper is that it did not give the newspaper the right to violate publishing rules which forbid “misleading the people” and “publishing false news.”
September Mobile is an online service of the September 22 newspaper, which, in conjunction with Sabafon, allowed news items to be broadcast direct to users’ mobile telephones. Its news website has published a statement expressing its regret about Sabafon’s decision.
However, a NewsYemen report alleged that Sabafon split with the newspaper after it published a report asserting that an agreement had been made between JMP presidential candidate Faisal bin Shamlan and the American Ambassador in Sana’a to deliver Sheikh al-Zandani to America if bin Shamlan is elected to the presidency. Whilst a second Sabafon source has denied this, September Mobile has accused the company, whose board of directors is headed by Opposition MP Hameed al-Ahmer, of being influenced by “purely partisan motivations” in deciding to terminate the publication.
