Police seal off UPC head office By Alex B. Atuhaire July 12, 2003 TV crew held at US Embassy
Police yesterday sealed off Uganda House to prevent the defiant UPC Youth League from holding a demonstration as American President George W. Bush visited Uganda. The UPC offices on the 6th floor remained closed as workers woke up to an unusual police arrangement, last seen at the party headquarters on January 12, last year, when the party held a political rally in Kampala. “Nobody worked today. It was police and agents all over the party headquarters. The environment was too tense for our peace loving workers. We decided to close our offices,” acting UPC Presidential Policy Commission Chairman Henry Mayega said yesterday. Earlier in the week, Mayega had said the party would surprise police and hold a demonstration after the Inspector General of Police, Maj. Gen. Edward Katumba Wamala warned against such action. But when the UPC youth tried to hold a demonstration in Nsambya at about 1.00 p.m., police raided the area and the youth scampered to safety. However, a youth, Mr Peter Elam was arrested and questioned for 45-minutes. Elam was arrested together with WBS television journalists, Williams Kato and Robinson Tumwesigye who had rushed to Nsambya to cover the rally. “I was questioned for about an hour,” a visibly shaken Elam said. “I was however released pending investigations. I don’t know where my friends have gone.” Tumwesige, a WBS TV cameraman said that the Katwe police chief, Bazil Mugisha led the team that questioned them. “They held us for 45 minutes because we had filmed the [American] embassy building. Police made photocopies of our identity cards before we were released,” Tumwesigye said. © 2003 The Monitor Publications -- He it is Who created for you all that is on earth...He is the All-knower of everything. Swaddaq Allahu Al-Adhim. Michael Bwambuga. __________________________________________________________________ McAfee VirusScan Online from the Netscape Network. Comprehensive protection for your entire computer. Get your free trial today! http://channels.netscape.com/ns/computing/mcafee/index.jsp?promo=393397 Get AOL Instant Messenger 5.1 free of charge. Download Now! http://aim.aol.com/aimnew/Aim/register.adp?promo=380455
