HRNJ-UGANDA PETITIONS POLICE DISPLINARY BODY OVER LIRA JOURNALIST.

Lira; 12^th/January/2012. The Human Rights Network for Journalist-Uganda (HRNJ-Uganda) has petitioned the police’s Professional Standards Unit (PSU) over the arrest of Daily Monitor’s journalist, Opio Emmanuel and deletion of photos from his camera.

HRNJ-Uganda has asked the commandant of PSU, Commissioner Kyomukama Samuel to carry out investigations and ensure that Opio opens up a case file against the officers and take action against those who violated the law. The petition was also brought to the attention of the police chief, Maj. Gen. Kale Kayihura and the Uganda Human Rights Commission.

Opio, the daily Monitor correspondent based in Lira district, alleges that on the 17^th day of December 2011, while he was covering a story where the police were interrogating four suspects arrested during a demonstration that protested UMEME’s failure to provide power to the residents in the area, he was arrested and harassed by the Deputy Regional Police Commander (D/RPC) for Lango region in Northern Uganda, Alfred Tumure.

He further alleges that Alfred Tumure the D/RPC, with the aid of two other policemen roughed him up and slapped him before deleting all materials from his photo camera. The complainant also claims that he was briefly arrested and detained for two hours before the UPDF Army’s 5th Division Spokesperson Ceaser Olweny intervened and pleaded on his behalf.

Opio’s efforts to open up a case file against Tumure at the Lira Central Police Station were allegedly frustrated when all the police officers including the OC CID Tugume Godwin, one Owuni (Police no: 26351) and Mapuwe (no: 25129) along with other plain clothed policemen turned him away, claiming that it was not proper to institute a case against their superior who they believed had committed no offence

If proved, these allegations constitute a violation of the complainant’s right to freedom of information and media freedoms under Article 29 and freedom from torture, cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment or punishment contrary to Article 24 and 44 of the Constitution of the Republic of Uganda.

“It is therefore in the interest of HRNJ-Uganda that these errant officers are brought to book in a very transparent manner without any delay.”  HRNJ-Uganda Programme Coordinator Wokulira Ssebaggala emphasized.

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

Bail Application filed for committed journalist.

 

Kampala, 10^th/Jan/2012; Augustine Okello, a radio presenter at Rhino FM (a branch of Top Radio) in Lira has applied for bail in the High Court in Kampala through his defence lawyer, Counsel Duncan Ondimu.

Okello, who was committed to trial in the High Court on the 6^th of January 2012, has been in detention for six months now.

This is the second bail attempt, the first one having been denied by the presiding judge on grounds that the sureties were not substantial, that the medical form was vague and that proof of ownership of the accused’s land in Lira was not strictly proven.

HRNJ-Uganda and the defense counsel have filed a fresh bail application in the High Court in Kampala under bail number (06/2012) with the relevant amendments. A new medical form clearly indicating that the accused is ill and cannot be treated by the prison has already been obtained. Other sureties from Lira have been identified and Proof of ownership of the accused’s land has also been availed by his wife.

However, currently most of the judges are attending the 14^th annual judges’ conference in Kampala which will last for four days. We hope that as soon as applicable, there will be an available judge to hear the application, so that the accused receives justice expeditiously.

Okello a.k.a Rouks was kidnapped on the evening of 13th of July 2011 under unclear circumstances in Lira District after holding a number of meetings with the district internal security officer (DISO) Stephen Eriaku and another police man attached to Lira Central Police station.

He was detained incommunicado for more than two weeks in different places including Kitante based Chieftaincy of Military Intelligence (CMI) and Kireka, the headquarters of Rapid Response Unit (RRU). RRU has since been disbanded and incorporated into other security organs.

He was brought to court after Human Rights Network for Journalists-Uganda (HRNJ-Uganda) filled for habeas corpus at High Court in Lira which pressurized security agencies and he was later taken to a subordinate court in Kampala (Buganda Road court).

Okello is the second journalist from Northern Uganda to be charged with treason after Mega FM’s Otim Patrick who was kidnapped in a similar way and is currently languishing in Luzira prison pending the hearing of his case.

Since the time of his arrest and detention, Okello’s health condition has and continues to deteriorate greatly due to the conditions in Prison. Therefore, HRNJ-Uganda hopes that the presumption of innocence as laid down in the Constitution of the Republic of Uganda 1995 under Article 23(6) (a) be visited in his favour and in the interest of justice and observation of the Constitution.

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

Journalist committed to High Court for trial

Kampala, 06^th/Jan/2012; Augustine Okello, a radio presenter at Rhino FM (a branch of Top Radio) in Lira has finally been committed for trial to the High Court in Kampala after spending six months in jail.

 Okello a.k.a Rouks was kidnapped on the evening of 13th of July 2011 under unclear circumstances in Lira District after holding a number of meetings with the district internal security officer (DISO) Stephen Eriaku and another police man attached to Lira Central Police station.

He was detained incommunicado for more than two weeks in different places including Kitante based Chieftaincy of Military Intelligence (CMI) and Kireka, the headquarters of Rapid Response Unit (RRU). RRU has since been disbanded and incorporated into other security organs.

He was brought to court after Human Rights Network for Journalists-Uganda (HRNJ-Uganda) filled for habeas corpus at High Court in Lira which pressurized security agencies and he was later taken to a subordinate court in Kampala (Buganda Road court).

Okello is the second journalist from Northern Uganda to be charged with treason after Mega FM’s Otim Patrick who was kidnapped in a similar way and is currently languishing in Luzira prison pending the hearing of his case.

Okello was charged with treason on 1^st/Aug/2011 without a charge sheet and the defense lawyers are still struggling to access the prosecution file.

Attempts however were made by HRNJ-Uganda’s Lawyer Duncan Ondimu who applied for pre-trial bail in the High Court which was heard on the 24th and 25th of October last year. However, court denied the accused bail on the grounds that the medical form was vaguely written by the medical officer at the prisons, the sureties were not substantial and that proof of property and the particulars of Augustine’s land in Lira were not strictly proven.

“We welcome the development but court should consider releasing all suspects including the two journalists who are languishing in Luzira prison’s remand section because police has failed to conclude investigations into their cases. The police and other security agencies should only arrest after thorough investigations in order to avoid long pre-trial detentions.” said HRNJ-Uganda Programmes Coordinator Geoffrey Wokulira Ssebaggala.

He stressed the need for a well designed mechanism that will audit operations of the police in order to recommend for amendments in the police Act.

We also call upon the judiciary with immediate effect to consider releasing all suspects who have spent more than six months on remand and expedite their trials.

HRNJ-Uganda is closely keeping track of the case and eagerly waiting for court to fix the hearing date.

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

HRNJ-Uganda condemns police for roughing up and denying justice to a journalist.

Lira, 06^th. January.2012; The Human Rights Network for Journalist-Uganda (HRNJ-Uganda) is dismayed by the conduct of the Deputy Regional Police Commander (D/RPC) for Lango region in Northern Uganda, Alfred Tumure who roughed up a journalist and slapped him before deleting all materials from his photo camera.

Emmanuel Opio, the Daily Monitor correspondent based in Lira district fell victim to this gruesome act on 17^th-December-2011 when he was covering a story where the police were interrogating four suspects arrested during demonstration that protested Umeme’s failure to provide power to the residents in the area.

The four suspects included Mike Adoko who is the ruling party NRM spokesperson for Lira district, Patrick Omara the opposition FDC spokesperson for Oyam district, opposition UPC’s Issa Otto who is the former area Member of Parliament (MP) for Oyam and Charles Amiru also former MP for Erute North in Lira district, all of whom have since been charged with staging an illegal assembly.

Opio says that as soon as he had entered the interrogation room at Lira police, Tumure grabbed his camera and stuck to it for two hours.

“With the assistance of two other police men, Tumure roughed me up, slapped me before taking away my camera. I had not taken any photos there. He detained me for two hours. He returned my camera only after the intervention of the UPDF army’s 4^th division spokesperson Ceaser Olweny. At the time, the camera had been formatted thereby deleting all my materials.” Opio narrated to the Human Rights Network for journalists (HRNJ-Uganda).

However, Tumure did not inform Opio about the deletion of his material from the camera.

Efforts by Opio to open up a case file against Tumure at the Lira Central Police Station were frustrated when all the police officers including the OC CID Tugume Godwin, one Owuni (Police no: 26351) and Mapuwe (no: 25129) along with other plain clothed policemen turned him away.

“They said they could not institute a case against their very superior. Tugume told me that he had consulted with the Resident State Attorney who sealed the matter when he advised that there was no case to answer for Tumure since he had committed no crime.” Opio Said.

Tumure who declined to comment about the deletion of the materials from Opio’s camera told HRNJ-Uganda that he was not aware that Opio had any concerns. “I am not aware that the journalist was aggrieved at all.”

The Lira CPS officer in charge of Training and administration, Fisto Sikaku told HRNJ-Uganda that Opio was free to report his case to any other nearby police station or to the Police’s Professional Standards Unit (PSU) in Kampala. He said he did not know on which grounds they denied Opio his right to file a case.

Opio feels aggrieved because he was assaulted, intimidated and harassed.

“It is very unfortunate for the police who are supposed to uphold law and order to blatantly abuse people’s fundamental rights including the freedom of the media and the right of access to information as the eyes and ears of the public. Otherwise, this is serious case of abuse of office which HRNJ-Uganda has resolved to pursue to the very end.” Warned the HRNJ-Uganda Program Coordinator Geoffrey Wokulira Ssebaggala

He added that it seems that there was connivance among the officers to frustrate the journalist’s efforts from seeking justice from a law enforcement institution.

HRNJ-Uganda calls on the police in the area to allow the journalist open up a case against the deputy RPC Tumure within this week and police should investigate the matter failure of which the organization will not hesitate to take drastic measures to ensure that justice prevails.

HRNJ-Uganda therefore calls upon the police force to use internal mechanisms to prevail over its errant officers like Tumure and Tugume.

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

MINISTER STORMS A RADIO STATION

Soroti; 31st/December/2011; The minister for Relief and Disaster preparedness in the Ugandan government, Musa Ecweru stormed the studios of Kyoga VERITAS Fm radio and issued threats of arrest and intimidations to the guests in the studio.

Ecweru, 48, is the Amuria county Member of Parliament. He shot into the limelight in 2003 when he mobilized the locals in the area to confront the Lord’s Resistance Army rebels.

The weekly Saturday talk show, ‘Teso na Ikoto’ loosely interpreted as ‘The Teso we want’ was featuring the opposition Forum for Democratic Change’s secretary general Alice Alaso who is also the Serere Woman MP and Uganda People’s Congress’s Julius Ocen who is the former Amuria district chairperson.

Ecweru had been invited to the program but pulled out in the course of the week.

The moderator of the program, Stanley Okello said he was very surprised to see Ecweru storm the studios just as the show was ending 5 minutes past the regular time of midday.

“He emerged unexpected, grabbed one of the microphones and announced live on air that all the people in the studio+ were under arrest and should go straight to police and record statements. I tried to calm him down but he was very furious. So we added more time for him to react to the issues at hand but he went personal attacking the guests in the studios who appeared unmoved.” Okello Said.

He told Human Rights Network for Journalists-Uganda (HRNJ-Uganda) that most ruling party members, the NRM were reluctant to come to the studio when invited over, “They don’t want to come and appear on the talk show, and it seems they don’t want the show to go on either. At the end of the day they blackmail the radio station as anti-NRM”.

However, since the incident occurred on 31^st-December-2011, Ecweru has declined to talk to the radio management and has kept his cell phone off. HRNJ-Uganda made fruitless efforts to talk to him.

The station manager of Kyoga VERITAS Fm, Francis Egadu told HRNJ-Uganda that they are not scared of such, since they conduct the program in a professional and balanced manner.

“We have not received any threats since then and we will continue conducting the program in our usual way.” He said.

“This is gross abuse of power by the minister. If he was aggrieved in any way, there are clear avenues to seek redress other than storming the radio and threatening the participants. HRNJ-Uganda would therefore urge those in public offices and powerful positions to restrain themselves from abusing the freedom of others and the media to debate national issues.” Notes the Program Coordinator, Geoffrey 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