Uganda Police is preparing a treason file against directors and editors of Pepper Publications Limited, a company that publishes Red Pepper following a story the newspaper published on Monday titled “M7 PLOTTING TO OVERTHROW KAGAME-RWANDA.”
According to a statement issued by Police spokesperson, Mr Emilian Kayima, the article has “grave implications on national and regional security and stability.”
According to section 37 (1) of the Penal Code Act (Cap.120), a person who publishes or causes to be published in a book, newspaper, magazine, article or any other printed matter, information regarding military operations, strategies, troop location or movement, location of military supplies or equipment of the armed forces or of the enemy, which publication is likely to— (a) endanger the safety of any military installations, equipment or supplies or of the members of the armed forces of Uganda; (b) assist the enemy in its operations; or (c) disrupt public order and security, commits an offence and is liable on conviction to imprisonment for a term not exceeding seven years.
Pepper Publications Group lawyer Denis Nyombi on Wednesday addressed a press briefing on the legal recourse the legal team after the directors and editors of local tabloid spent the night at Nalufenya Police Detention Centre in Jinja.
Mr. Nyombi protested the brutal treatment Police subjected the five directors plus three editors to and revealed that they were transported from Nalufenya early morning to an unknown destination.
However a source tells TheUgandan that Richard Tusiime (CEO), Patrick Mugumya (CPO), Arinaitwe Rugyendo (CM0), James Mujuni (CCO) and Johnson Musinguzi Byarabaha (CFO) and editors; Ben Byarabaha (Managing Editor), Richard Kintu (News Editor) and Tumusiime Francis Tinywana (Bwino Newspaper Editor who doubles as General Manager) are currently detained at their Namanve offices as operatives from Counter -Terrorism unit continue to search their work premises.
