Yesterday, Red Pepper premises were sealed off by Anti Terrorism police that also confiscated phones, laptops, desk computers, hard drives, other computer accessories, police. We have thus learnt that the company directors and editors have been detained at Nalufenya in Jinja.
The detained directors include; Arinaitwe Rugyendo, James Mujuni, Patrick Mugumya, Richard Tusiime and News editors Ben Byarabaha, Richard Kintu and Francis Tumusiime.
According to the company’s lawyer Denis Nyombi, he condemns the criteria used by police to arrest the suspects saying; “They were all bundled on police vans, driven on breakneck speed, first to their homes for search then to Nalufenya. This is to intimidate and infringe on the rights and freedoms of the press.”
However, Police has not officially come out to give its stand on the matter though it yesterday came out and confirmed that the seacrch warrant was issued to them after a story ran by the publication reading President Museveni was plotting to overthrow Rwanda President Paul Kagame.