Police violated law - Monitor MD

By Steven Candia

The Monitor Publications Ltd. managing director, Alex Asimwe on Monday expressed shock over the way the Police sealed off their premises to conduct a search for documents allegedly authored by Gen. David Sejusa.

He said the Police carried out the exercise and closed the company’s two radio stations – KFM and Dembe FM – in gross violation of the law.

“We are horrified by this act, which is a gross disregard of the Ugandan law and a violation of the Monitor’s constitutional right,” Asiimwe said.

“This matter is in court and management has contested the demand by the Police for us to disclose the source of the story, and the matter is yet to be decided.”

The Police say they need the documents allegedly authored by Gen. Sejusa, formerly called Tinyefuza, as part of investigations into criminal offences.

Sejusa, a serving officer in the UPDF, is alleged to have authored documents alleging a plot to assassinate senior leaders, purportedly opposed to what was referred to as “Muhoozi project”.

The army leadership and the defence minister, Dr. Crispus Kiyonga, have roundly dismissed Sejusa’s statements as absolute falsehoods. Sejusa is currently out of the country.

Heavily armed policemen stormed the Monitor offices in Namuwongo at about mid-day, blocking all exits and entries as they carried out a search.

Although the Police maintained that they were searching for Sejusa’s documents, the Monitor management reported that the Police also disabled the printing press, computer servers and radio transmission equipment.

“It is particularly perturbing that the Police ordered our operations shut down under the pretext of carrying out a search. It is unacceptable that our business should be crippled on a dispute, which should be settled in court,” Monitor management, which is part of the Nations Media Group, said.

Tom Mshindi, the managing director of Nation's newspapers division, said the raid was extremely shocking.

“We are surprised and shocked. We had expected that the Government would allow the law to takes its course,” Mshindi, who had just flown into the country from their head office in Nairobi, said.

The Police, led by Godfrey Musana, the deputy director of Criminal Investigations and Intelligence Directorate, conducted a search, moving from one computer to another – starting in the production section and then moving to the fourth floor, housing the radio stations.

By press time, the Police were reportedly still on the third floor. Monitor staff were only allowed to get out. In the course of the exercise, they were reportedly ordered out.

At least four Police patrol trucks were parked outside the offices, with about two dozen Police officers manning the area.

A group of human rights activists also descended on the place in protest against the Police action. At one point, the Police were forced to fire teargas to disperse them.

Red Pepper

A similar scenario, meanwhile, unfolded at the Red Pepper premises in Namanve, on Jinja-Kampala highway, where the Police also cordoned off the place and combed the offices for the documents allegedly authored by Gen. Sejusa.

According to the Red Pepper management, the Police sealed of their offices at around mid-day with a search order from Nakawa Chief Magistrates’ Court.

Staff members were allowed to go out of the premises to have lunch, but were barred from returning to the offices.

By press time, the Police were still guarding the premises.

Police statement on Daily Monitor Red Pepper premises search 20-05-13.docx by The New Vision

PRESS STATEMENT ON THE SEARCH OF THE NATION MEDIA GROUP AND PEPPER PUBLICATIONS.docx by The New Vision