"He said that Reform Agenda is taking precautions and has issued a hotline 077-441943 for its supporters. It would also take legal action if members are arrested and not produced in court within 48 hours, he said."
Besigye Group Fear Arrest Email This Page Print This Page The Monitor (Kampala) December 16, 2002 Posted to the web December 17, 2002 Badru D. Mulumba Kampala Members of Reform Agenda yesterday said they are living in fear of impending arrests during the Christmas break. The opposition pressure group chaired by Kizza Besigye told a press conference in Kampala that they have been informed that President Yoweri Museveni reportedly gave the arrest order. But State House immediately dispelled the allegation as politicking. At the press conference attended by Publicity Secretary Beti Kamya and National Treasurer Wycliffe Akandonda, Reform Secretary General Geoffrey Ekanya said, "The president has directed that during the Christmas holiday, several groups of people including Reform Agenda activists be arrested." The press conference was held at the Reform Agenda offices in Kamwokya. But the President's Deputy Press Secretary Onapito Ekomoloit laughed off the allegation yesterday. "That is a very wild allegation," Onapito said on phone. "I don't think the president can direct that an arrest be effected. That is the work of the Police." Police spokesman Assuman Mugenyi said that Police can only arrest Reform supporters if they engage in illegal acts. "Why would we arrest their members? If we had wanted to arrest them, we would have done so long ago," Mugenyi said on phone. "Unless they are saying that they will commit crimes. And if they commit crimes we will arrest them. Whether Reform or not, anyone who commits a crime will be arrested." Reform Agenda declined to name their sources, saying that doing so would jeopardise the lives of the sources. The group would also not say which security organisation is to effect the arrest. Asked to name the organisation to which the president gave the directive, Ekanya said, 'The president as a Commander-in-Chief gives directives to security organs. They are supposed to act. They know the people they want to pick, but for us we advise them to act in accordance with the law. Several groups of people know, and the security organs know." He would not say why Reform members would be arrested. And he declined to say whether their fear of arrest stems from the statement issued by Besigye, which discusses whether conditions exist in Uganda that make it ripe for war. "We don't know," he said. "We don't support any kind of subversive activities. That is why we are wondering why security organs should arrest us." He said that Reform Agenda is taking precautions and has issued a hotline 077-441943 for its supporters. It would also take legal action if members are arrested and not produced in court within 48 hours, he said. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ --