VJ Junior to be charged over WhatsApp post
VJ Junior at Dembe FM studios in Kampala, recently. FILE PHOTO.
Kampala- Famous movie translator Marysmats Matovu alias VJ Junior and his colleague are to appear in court today on charges of cyber harassment and offensive communication arising from suspected provocative posts they made against members of a WhatsApp group.
This is the first time in Uganda the police have charged a person for a comment made in a WhatsApp group.
WhatsApp groups have been considered to be some of the most private applications of social media.
VJ Junior, who is also the LC3 councillor for Bwaise II in Kawempe Division, and Mr Geoffrey Bbosa, who have been in detention since Tuesday, are alleged to have harassed members of Uganda Film Council in a WhatsApp group. The duo was arrested by the Minister of Ethics and Integrity, Fr Simon Lokodo.
The spokesman of the Directorate of Criminal Investigations, Mr Vicent Ssekate, said the two offences have already been sanctioned by the Resident State Attorney against the two suspects and others still at large.
“They will be taken to court tomorrow [today] on the same charges. We are also looking for other suspects who made similar posts on the same WhatsApp group against members of the Uganda Film Producers Association,” Mr Ssekate said yesterday.
The WhatsApp exchange stemmed from a disagreement over who should lead the film industry in Uganda.
VJ Junior and his colleague lead an association, which has rivalry with the Uganda Film Producers Association on how much they should be charged for the production and distribution of films.
According to Mr Ssekate, the suspects posted photographs of members of Uganda Film Producers Association calling them pigs and uttering obscene words.
When arresting the duo, Fr Lokodo first told them that they were producing and circulating pornographic materials on CDs, flash disks and other devices across the country, an allegation they denied.
However, when they reached CID headquarters, they learnt that member of Uganda Film Producers Association had opened a case of threatening violence.
Mr Ssekate said when the detectives looked at the case, they found out that the offences fall under the Computer Misuse Act 2010.
[email protected]
