DPP drops criminal case against Pepper Publications Bosses
The criminal case Uganda versus Red Pepper editors and directors has today been withdrawn by the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP). The accused have today been discharged by Buganda Road Court and the file closed.
Buganda Road Court Magistrate Samuel Kagoda has dismissed a case against five Red Pepper directors and three editors, who were last year charged with offending the person of the President, Gen Henry Tumukunde and Gen. Salim Saleh.
The Magistrate on Tuesday dismissed the case after the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) Mike Chibita withdrew the charges and the accused persons declared free.
The accused included Richard Tusiime, Johnson Musinguzi, Patrick Mugumya, and Arinatiwe Rugyendo, Richard Kintu, Ben Byarabaha, Francis Tumusiime and James Mujuni.
8 Staff members of Red Pepper in court today
Court had adjourned the matter to 27th March 2018 (Today) after state prosecutor Abdul Salim Waiswa, who is representing Uganda Communications Commission UCC, failed again to turn up for the hearing on March 15th.
The 8 were in November 2017 charged with seven counts including; publication of information prejudicial to security, libel and offensive communication, among others.
The accused appeared before the Buganda Road Court Chief magistrate James Ereemye Mawanda and denied the charges.
