KAMPALA – Solomon Sserwanjja, a new anchor and a senior investigative journalist with NBS television Friday morning handed himself over to police authority in Kampala after several hours on the run.
Police on Thursday afternoon declared Sserwanjja a wanted man after operatives from the Internal Security Organisation (ISO) allegedly found classified drugs with the Government of Uganda seal at his residence in Mukono.
On Friday morning, police handed a summon letter to lawyer Medard Lubega Sseggona asking his client Sserwanjja to report to Police to record a statement.
He arrived at the Central Police Station at 11:50 a.m., accompanied by NBS TV head of news Joyce Bagala and Chief Executive Officer Kin Karisa.
At the Station, he was received by the Officer in charge of the Criminal Investigation CPS Joshua Tusingwire who led him to the office of Kampala Metropolitan Police Commander Moses Kafeero.
Sserwanjja’s was recording a statement in room 9 CPS Kampala by press time.
This comes barely two hours after three journalists from the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), a driver and Sserwanja’s wife Vivian Nakaliika, were granted police bond.
The journalists who include: Godfrey Badebye, Kaweesa Rashid and Kassim Muhammad, as well as their driver Shadow Kisaame, were detained yesterday at Central Police Station (CPS) Kampala together with Vivian Nakaliika, a Communication Officer with the Ministry of Health.
It is alleged that detectives and operatives of the Internal Security Organisation (ISO) had uncovered several boxes of Malaria and Hepatitis B vaccine in Sserwanjja and Vivian’s home in Mukono. Possession of such classified drugs is punishable by a fine of up to 2 million Ugandan shilling and up to five years in prison, according to provisions of the National Drug Policy and Authority Act.
Sserwanjja speaks out
Speaking to NBS TV on Friday morning, Sserwanjja admitted that he was worried about his life after police detained his wife and his colleagues.
“I have been living worried and scared, he said adding that “this has been the longest week in my entire life.”
The investigative journalist said he was not yet home on the fateful night when his colleagues were arrested and later police raided his home in Mukono over the alleged possession of restricted government drugs.
“When they were arrested, I didn’t know where they had been taken. I then told my wife not to open the door for the house until lawyers came,” he narrated.
He castigated police to drag his wife Vivian Sserwanjja who is the Ministry of health spokesperson sitting that “she was not part of the investigation.”
“I feel bad for my wife to be dragged into this. It is very dangerous for her. I am worried about her job and safety.”
But he insisted that the investigation into the theft of government drugs was done in public interest adding that the investigation will continue and that he story will be coming out very soon on the BBC and NBS Televisions.”
