Police in Uganda have arrested editors and directors of a popular tabloid newspapers for publishing what officials claimed was a fake news about a possible coup in Rwanda.
The newspaper is reported to have claimed in its Monday edition that Uganda’s Yoweri Museveni was plotting to overthrow Rwanda’s President Paul Kagame.
Police on Wednesday raided the offices of the privately-owned English-language newspaper the ‘Red Pepper’ arresting several of the workers.
Police spokesperson Emillian Kayima told local media that apart from the story being false it was also a threat to regional security.
Kayima is quoted as saying that “The Uganda police force initiated investigations into the serious statements and insinuations in that story that have grave implications on national and regional security and stability.”
Lawyer for the newspaper Dickens Byamukama said the eight directors and editors have been detained at a prison outside the capital Kampala.
“Their phones, laptops were confiscated, plus other official and private equipment,” Byamukama said.
Source: Africafeeds.com
