Two NTV journalists were Tuesday afternoon released on Police Bond after spending the night in detention. The journalists Herbert Zziwa and his camera operator Ronald Muwanga were on Monday evening arrested by security operatives from Pacific Hotel in Arua town, while trying to report the shooting in which the driver of MP Robert Kayagulanyi was killed by an alleged stray bullet.
This was all in the wake of the scuffle that marked the last day of campaigning ahead of the Arua Municipality MP by-elections. Speaking to fellow journalists at the Northern Uganda Media Club after their release from Gulu CPS, the two reporters narrated how they were grabbed from Pacific Hotel by security operatives.
Mr. Zziwa said while being driven away, they were kicked, beaten while being tied by the officials in the van. He says they were kept for two hours in an unknown location and were later transferred to another place where they were held up to 2am in the night.
From here, he says they were moved to Arua CPS where their property like money, shoes, camera lights were confiscated. The two reporters have since been charged with Inciting Violence and Malicious Damage under case number CRB 3441/2018.
Zziwa says they were later transferred to Gulu Central Police station from where they were released on Police bond. Ronald Muwanga, the cameraman noted that all their belongings remained in Arua, yet the MPs with whom they were arrested, were moved with their belongings.
Aswa regional Police Public relation Officer, Jimmy Patrick Okema confirmed that they have in custody three Members of Parliament who were arrested from Arua as a result of the chaos on Monday evening after the rally.
These he says are Hon. Gerald Karuhanga of Ntungamo Municipality, Hon, Paul Mwiru of Jinja East and Hon. Mike Mabike of Democratic Party.
