Uganda: Police stop media siege as Monitor opens

By Monitor Reporter.

The outgoing Internal Affairs Minister, Mr Hillary Onek, Thursday ordered police to immediately vacate Monitor Publication premises.

He told journalists at the government Media Centre that the company that publishes the Daily Monitor, Saturday Monitor and Sunday Monitor should resume operations.

Eleven days ago, police surrounded the company premises and stopped its operations. The Red Pepper Publications, another private media house met a similar fate.

Monitor Publications’ radio stations - KFM and Dembe FM - were also switched off by police after producing a search warrant in quest of a letter written by Gen David Sejusa, the Coordinator of Intelligence Services.

Since then, there has been a heavy presence of armed security operatives at the headquarters of the media houses, blocking staff members from accessing the premises.

Gen Sejusa, in his letter, asked the Director General of Internal Security Organisation to investigate allegations that there was a plot to assassinate top army and government officials opposed to an alleged plan to enable Brig Muhoozi Keinerugaba succeed his father - Mr Museveni - as the next president.

Source: http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/Police-vacates-Monitor-offices/-/688334/1866910/-/13v3hsqz/-/index.html