Ugandan court gives bail to tabloid editors after three weeks in prison

KAMPALA, Dec. 19 (Xinhua) -- A court in the Ugandan capital Kampala on Tuesday granted bail to eight directors and editors of the Red Pepper tabloid who have been in prison for over three weeks on several charges including libel and computer misuse.

Buganda Road Court Chief Magistrate, James Ereemye Mawanda, released the five directors and three editors of the Red Pepper who have been in prison since Nov. 27 for publishing a story alleging that President Yoweri Museveni was plotting to overthrow his Rwandan counterpart Paul Kagame.

Ereemye in his ruling read by Samuel Kagoda, the Buganda Road Court Grade One Magistrate, granted bail to the eight accused charged with seven charges of publication of information prejudicial to security, libel and offensive communication that defamed President Museveni, his brother Gen. Salim Saleh and security minister, Lt. Gen. Henry Tumukunde.

Prosecution states that on Nov. 20 at the Red Pepper offices in Namanve in the central Ugandan district of Mukono, 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 suspects are also accused for injuring the reputation of President Museveni, Saleh and Tumukunde, subjecting the trio to hatred, contempt and ridicule.

They are also accused of offensive communication to disturb the peace, quiet and right of privacy of Museveni, Saleh and Tumukunde.

The accused are further said to have willfully and repeatedly used their computers for no legitimate purposes to disturb the peace and privacy of the three by portraying the leaders as people who plotted to overthrow Kagame. Enditem