Mukono, 22nd/May/2012;
The police in Mukono have started investigating into the attack of four Mukono
district based journalists by summoning and quizzing Pastor Samuel Landasa of Mount
Lebanon Church from whose church a group of youths emerged and beat up journalists
on Sunday 20th and confiscated their tools of work.
A
group of about 10 led by one Shem Ssemanda attacked Kalumba Ronald of WBS
television, Paddy Nsobya of Bukedde Newspaper (Vision Group of Companies),
Makumbi Joseph of the Red Pepper and Bbuule Moses Kizito of Bukedde radio as
they followed up a news story.
The
journalists had gone to get the pastor’s side of the story about allegations
that he had banished some critical members from his church who were accusing
him of illegally conducting church marriages and changing the church land title
into his name. Those banned were later arrested by police. It is this story
that the journalists were following up on.
During
a fact finding mission to Mukono, the Human Rights Network for
Journalists-Uganda (HRNJ-Uganda) team led by Lawyer Catherine Anite and Robert
Ssempala established that the matter was being expeditiously handled by the
police. A team of journalists in the area including the assault victims met
with the District Police Commander Seiko Chemonges, the OC CID Henry Mugumya
and OC Station Mwaule among others at the police station in Mukono.
Chemonges
reassured the team that all the perpetrators would be brought to book. “Those
people who beat up journalists must be brought to justice at an appropriate
time, whoever they are. Am ready to ensure journalists’ safety in Mukono, to
even give them security when covering contentious scenes.” said Chemonges.
“HRNJ-Uganda
commends the expeditious manner in which the police have handled the matter and
the assurance given to journalists while on duty in Mukono. We implore the
police in other areas to emulate this exemplary action by the Mukono DPC. We
are also following up the matter to ensure that it is handled in a more
transparent way. We want the perpetrators to face the law and also compensate the
journalists if it is established that their gadgets were damaged” said
HRNJ-Uganda lawyer Catherine Anite.
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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