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Stowaway follows Bush
on press plane
Security tightened for legit reporters ASSOCIATED PRESS ENTEBBE, Uganda - White House officials discovered a stowaway on a chartered plane for reporters covering U.S. President George W. Bush's Africa trip, and the man was detained by Ugandan authorities. The Secret Service was notified by a White House aide that the man, who was not identified, had joined the reporters today and flew with them to a compound in Entebbe where the president had several events, said deputy Secret Service director Mark Sullivan. The United Airlines Boeing 747 carried reporters, photographers, camera crews, White House staff and Secret Service agents. The man, who carried no weapons and had no passport or other identification, boarded in Pretoria, South Africa, and flew to Bush's next stop, in Entebbe, where he was detained. The man was shouting as he was led away. The press corps travels on a separate plane and at different times than the president, but generally occupies quarters in the area of Bush's events. Sullivan said the president was never in danger. "He was never near the president," he said of the interloper. The man was handed over to Ugandan authorities and was being held and questioned by local police and U.S. security personnel, said Ugandan police spokesman Asuman Mugenyi. Mugenyi said the man was South African. "He claims he's a journalist but he was not entitled to be with the advance party of the president," Mugenyi said. "We've not established his motives. He claims he's a journalist but he may not be a journalist." The incident caused the Secret Service to tighten security before allowing the press charter to continue on its journey to Nigeria from Uganda. Agents checked reporters' credentials against a master list and screened all hand luggage left on the plane before allowing the press to board. Bush landed in Nigeria this afternoon, the last country on a five-day, five-country African trip that ends Saturday. The
Mulindwas Communication Group
"With Yoweri Museveni, Uganda is in anarchy" Groupe de communication Mulindwas "avec Yoweri Museveni, l'Ouganda est dans l'anarchie" |
