Sierra Leonean law is clear. Anyone who "maliciously" publishes defamatory material could be put in jail for up to three years, whether or not what they have written is true.
VOA: standard.2009.12.28
Because had a soldier shot the same person, he would have been in the brig, and it would be very publicized, he'd be court marshaled and putinjail.
Monica's presentation was enough to persuade the prosecutors to offer her an extraordinary deal: complete transactional immunity from prosecution for both Monica and her mother, which means that nothing Monica or anyone else says can be used to put her injail unless she fails to testify truthfully when she finally has her day before the grand jurors.