The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Kampala, Uganda | GODFREY SSALI | A New Vision journalist reportedly abducted outside the Vision Group offices on First Street, Industrial Area last week, has been released.
The news of the crime reporter’s release was broken by the Chief Executive Officer of Vision Group Robert Kabushenga in a tweet on Monday.
Kabushenga said that reporter Charles Etukuri had been dropped outside the company offices in Industrial Area, Kampala.
“Thank you all for your prayers. God has answered them. Our New Vision reporter Charles Etukuri has been released. He has just been dropped off outside our office,” tweeted Kabushenga.
Etukuri, an investigative journalist with Saturday and Sunday Vision was reportedly abducted by four suspected security agents on Tuesday afternoon outside the media house’s offices.
Thank you all for your prayers. God has answered them. Our .@newvisionwire reporter Charles Etukuri has been released. He has just been dropped off outside our office. ??
— Robert Kabushenga (@rkabushenga) February 19, 2018
Earlier, the High Court in Kampala had ordered Security Minister (Rtd) Lt.Gen Henry Tumukunde and the Director General of the Internal Security Organization (ISO) Col (rtd) Frank Bagyenda Kaka to produce Etukuri in court.
The habeas corpus order was issued Monday afternoon by Justice Lydia Mugambe on the request of Vision Group lawyer Tonny Kirabira.
Soon after journalist was picked up last week, Vision Group Editor in Chief Barbara Kaija did not hide the fact that they feared the abduction was related to a series of investigative reports Etukuri had worked on regarding the death of two foreign nationals in two separate five start hotels in Kampala.
In the report Etukuri made a link between the Internal Security Organisation and the murder of a Finland national, Tersvouri Toomajuha Petteri, 42, who died at Pearl of Africa Hotel on February 05, 2018 and the death of a Swedish national Alex Sebastian, 41, who also died in his room at Sheraton Hotel on February 06, 2018.
“My captors believed I had closely worked with the killers of the Finnish national found dead in a Kampala hotel,” Etukuri said after his release. “They believed I was deeply involved in the matter and that I had closely worked with the killers. That I knew much more than what I had written.”
Investigations into the two deaths are however ongoing and Police Spokesman Emilian Kayima told journalists at the police head quarters on Monday that the two foreigners were poisoned.
The toxicology reports were released by the directorate of government analytical laboratory (DGAL) over the weekend according to Kayima.
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— The Independent (@UGIndependent) February 15, 2018
New Vision Crimes Reporter Charles Etukuri ‘abducted’ https://t.co/wdoAh7uF4j pic.twitter.com/3KFGhYYQll
— The Independent (@UGIndependent) February 13, 2018
