VIDEO: BBC journalists released after night in jail

Police has released on bond three BBC journalists and Vivian Serwanjja, a health ministry official.

The four who were arrested yesterday at different intervals were held at the Central Police Station for a night in connection to an investigation on the sale of government drugs.

Kassim Mohammed, Godfrey Badebye and Rasheed Kaweesa, the three BBC journalists were working together with NBS TV’s investigative reporter Solomon Serwanjja to unearth a racket of dealers in government drugs on the black market.

They were arrested from Makindye and later after a police search at the home of Serwanjja, his wife, Vivian, was arrested to help with the investigations.

The whereabouts of  Solomon Serwanjja remain unknown.

https://nilepost.co.ug/2019/02/07/how-police-arrested-journalists-investigating-sale-of-government-drugs-by-officials/

A statement from the Next Media Services confirmed that Serwanjja and the BBC crew were on a three-week long assignment to unearth an alleged racket of individuals that were stealing and selling government drugs that are meant to be distributed freely in hospitals.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_AqfloIrb4U&t=605s

Pressure has been mounting on police to release the journalists. Statements from the Committee For Protection of Journalists, Foreign Correspondents Association Of Uganda and Uganda Journalists association all called for the immediate and unconditional release of the four.

Their Lawyer Ladislaus Rwakafuzi told NilePost that the four had been released on bond and that Solomon Serwanjja was free to go on with his investigative piece.

Police will address the press at midday to issue a statement on their release.