Kampala,
20th/April/2012; The police have quizzed
a Daily Monitor journalist Risdel Kasasira
over a recent interview with the coordinator of the banned opposition
pressure group Activists for Change (A4C) Mathias Mpuuga.
Kasasira, a political reporter appeared before the
police’s criminal investigations directorate (CID) and was quizzed by the Media
Crimes Department team led by Fred Mirondo for over an hour. The police are investigating cases of incitement of violence in a
statement Mpuuga made during an
interview with Kasasira which was published in Sunday Monitor of April 8th,
2012 under the headline, our goal is to bring Museveni down.
In the interview, Mpuuga said the opposition was
“duty bound to replace” President Museveni due to a breakdown of accountable
government and harsh economic times, which the police equates to inciting
violence.
During the interrogations, Kasasira who was accompanied
by company lawyer James Nangwala and Deputy Company secretary Timothy Ntale,
denied any wrong doing by interviewing Mpuuga.
“It was a question and answer interview story, I did
not put my opinion at all, so I did not do anything wrong. The police also
wanted to know whether I had more details other than what was published in the
paper, where I had conducted the interview from and whether I had taken the
photos of Mpuuga that were used in the paper. But majorly they wanted to make
me a witness to testify against Mpuuga in court to which I declined.” Kasasira
told HRNJ-Uganda soon after the interview.
In the summons, the police had asked Kasasira to
surrender the original audio and visual form of the interview, to which he
declined saying that it was against the media ethics. He vowed to stay focused
despite this form of intimidation.
“I will continue doing my work as a journalist, for
I know I committed no crime by conducting the interview. So, that intimidation
will not stop me from interfacing with news sources.” Kasasira told
HRNJ-Uganda.
Nangwala said that it was not possible for a
journalist to testify against their sources of news.
“The police have openly turned against journalists
who report about opposition related activities. Trying to compel Kasasira to
witness against a source clearly manifests the state’s resolve to muzzle the
press. Using of journalists as witnesses in criminal investigations by the
police would set up journalists against the public which they are meant to
serve. This would directly curtail press freedom.” said HRNJ-Uganda Programme
Coordinator Wokulira Ssebaggala.
For More Information Contact;
Human Rights
Network for Journalists-Uganda (HRNJ-Uganda)
Kivebulaya
Road – Mengo Kampala Opp. St. Marcelino Pre. School
P.O.BOX.
71314 Clock Tower Kampala
Tel:
+256-414-272934 / +256-414-667627
E-mail:
news@hrnjuganda.org
humanrajournalists@yahoo.co.uk
Website:
www.hrnjuganda.org
BLOG:
http://hrnjuganda.blogpost.com
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