KAMPALA–The Vision Group has gone to court demanding the release of its investigative journalist Charles Etukuri.
According to New Vision management, Etukuri was kidnapped on Tuesday afternoon near the company premises as he was entering his car.
Through its lawyers, the Vision Group petitioned court, seeking to compel the Attorney General and ISO boss Frank Kaka Bagyenda to produce Etukuri in court.
The management filed an application for a harbeas corpus.
Is Etukuri detained in a safe House?
It is not yet established why five men wearing army uniform abducted Etukuri but New Vision has revealed that its journalist is being detained in a safe house at Kyegera, Wakiso district.
The cause of the problem is the story Etukuri wrote implicating ISO operatives over the death of a Finnish investor, at Pearl of Africa Hotel.
Barbara Kaija, the Vision Group editor- in –chief, said there are channels through which those offended by the story should have used.
Parliament puts govt on pressure
Etukuri’s arrest became a matter of public concern in Parliament on Thursday. Some legislators asked security agencies to release Etukuri immediately.
The abduction
Insiders at the media house based at Industrial area told PML Daily that Etukuri reported to work and attended the usual meeting.
“We discussed several issues and after the meeting, we went to get lunch. Charles remained active on his computer. But at around 3pm, when he got out of the office, men grabbed him and bundled him on to a waiting vehicle,” a source said.
Kaija said they have reported the case to Police.
“We have informed the relevant office about his kidnap,” she added.
According three eyewitnesses, the vehicle, a white double cabin, Registration number UAH 038A, had parked near the New Vision offices, since morning hours.
Ever since Etukuri joined Newvision , he has been reporting on security and has been very close to security agents.
The Kampala Metropolitan Police commander Frank Mwesigwa, however, said police have no information about the abduction.
But some security analysts that PML Daily talked to said Etukuri might be a victim of the bitter relationship between the police and other security organisations.
