Atleast five journalists who run online news websites have been summoned by Police Criminal Investigations Directorate (CID) to record statements in an investigation relating to defamation and personation.
The journalists are: Bob Atwine and Raymond Wamala of Sypreports Uganda online news publication, Andrew Irumba who runs Spy Uganda, John Njoroge of CEO Magazine and Richard Wanambwa of Eagle online.
According to the summons issued by the Police CID headquarters in Kibuli, the scribes are required to appear at Kibuli on Friday February 8 to assist investigations.
“This Directorate is conducting investigations into the case of defamation and personation,” the Police summons read.
“Pursuant to Section 27A of the Police Act, you are required to report to Criminal Investigations Directorate headquarters in Kibuli on Friday 8th February, 2019 at 10:00hrs to assist in providing valuable information in respect to the matter being investigates,” wrote Kiirya, Sisye Bernard on behalf of CID headquarters.
At Kibuli, they have been asked to report to the Department of Electronic Counter Measures.
Police instructed the journalists to “treat this matter as urgent” adding that failure to appear will result into their arrest using all possible legal means.
Those summoned had last year been summoned by Police to answer questions related to stories they published basing on details of leaked bank account details of Justine Bagyenda, the executive director for banks supervision at Bank of Uganda.
Bagyenda came under fire after Bank of Uganda took over the management of Crane Bank earlier this year over allegations of mismanagement and later sold it DFCU Bank.