Five directors of the red pepper and three editors of the publication have been denied bail and sent back to Luzira for 2 more weeks.
The directors; James Mujuni, Patrick Mugumya, Arinaitwe Rugyendo, Johnson Musinguzi, Richard Tusiime, and Editors; Richard Kintu, Benson Byarabaha and Francis Tumusiime are accused of injuring the reputations of President Museveni, his young brother Gen. Salim Saleh Caleb Akanandwaho and the security minister Lt. Gen. Henry Tumukunde, when they published a story on November 20th, purporting that president Yoweri Museveni wants to oust his Rwandan counterpart and that the publication allegedly subjected the trio to hatred, contempt and Ridicule.
The 8 men appeared before Buganda Road Chief magistrate James Eremye Mawanda who sent them back to Luzira until December 19th.
The development came after Abdul-Salam Waiswa, a prosecutor from the Uganda Communications commission (UCC) asked Court not to release the journalists on grounds that their freedom endangers national security.
Waiswa argued that if released, the journalists are likely to repeat the offence of offending President Museveni.
His submission came from an affidavit of the investigating officer Assistant commissioner of police Isaac Oketcho, who told court that if the suspects are set free, they will gain access to their computers, e-mails and mobile phones and there is a likelihood of re-connecting with their networks to frustrate the on-going investigations.
Waiswa also argued that court takes into account the gravity and seriousness of the offence of publishing information prejudicial to national security allegedly committed by the suspects which shows that they are a danger to Uganda, Rwanda and the entire great lakes regional security if released on bail.
