Red Pepper editors charged with offending Museveni, his brother

Red pepper directors and editors in the dock at Buganda Road Court on Monday. PHOTO BY MICHAEL KAKUMIRIZI

What you need to know:

  • The eight editors and directors were arrested on Tuesday in an operation commanded by Kampala Metropolitan police commander, Frank Mwesigwa.
  • The accused are also said to have caused publication and distribution of newspaper story lines that injured the reputations of President Museveni, his brother Gen Salim Saleh and security minister Lt.Gen Henery Tumukunde, which publication allegedly subjected the three people to hatred, contempt and ridicule.

Editors of a local daily tabloid, the Red Pepper have been charged with seven counts including; publication of information prejudicial to security, libel and offensive communication, among others.
The suspects include Richard Tusiime, Johnson Musinguzi, Patrick Mugumya, and Arinatiwe Rugyendo.
Others are Richard Kintu, Ben Byarabaha, Francis Tumusiime and James Mujuni.

The accused have appeared before the Buganda Road Court Chief magistrate James Ereemye Mawanda and denied the charges.
A prosecutor from the Uganda Communications Commission (UCC); Mr Abdul -Salam Waiswa handled the case on behalf of the striking state prosecutors.
Prosecution states that on November 20, 2017 at the Red pepper offices in Namanve, Mukono District, the accused unlawfully caused publication and distribution of a newspaper headline regarding the military operations, strategies and troop location well knowing that such publication can disrupt public Order and security.

The accused are also said to have caused publication and distribution of newspaper story lines that injured the reputations of President Museveni, his brother Gen Salim Saleh and security minister Lt.Gen Henery Tumukunde, which publication allegedly subjected the three people to hatred, contempt and ridicule.

The accused are further said to have wilfully and repeatedly used their computers for no legitimate purposes to disturb the peace and privacy of Mr Museveni , Gen Saleh and Lt Gen Tumukunde by portraying them as people who plotted to overthrow the president of the Republic of Rwanda.
However, they were denied bail and remanded to Luzira Prison.