KAMPALA, Uganda
President of Uganda, Yoweri Museveni has finally made good his threat and sued the Monitor Publications Limited for alleged defamation.
Through
his lawyers of K and K Advocates, Museveni contends that on February 23, 2021,
Monitor Publications Limited falsely and maliciously caused to be written,
printed and published an article titled “Museveni 'inner circle' secretly
given Covid jabs — US paper,” that defamed him.
The
article quoted a story published by The Wall Street Journal, an American
publication, which stated that “People close to President Museveni have
reportedly received jabs of China Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccine months ahead of
health workers and vulnerable groups".
By
the time of publishing the said article, Uganda was still awaiting the arrival
of more than 800,000 COVID-19 Astrazeneca vaccines. In his application,
Museveni says that he had dedicated over 50 years of his life to the liberation
and emancipation of Uganda and Africa to which he has received abundant
recognition for his exceptional leadership role in the empowerment of Ugandans
and Africans.
He
says that the contested article was maliciously and without due care, published
and placed on the same page below a factual story "China gives Uganda
300,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccine " with his photograph and a visiting
Chinese official.
According
to Museveni, this was meant to give more credence to false allegations by the
publication. He also contends that although Daily Monitor contacted his
press secretary, Don Innocent Wanyama and Health ministry spokesperson Emmanuel
Ainebyona, who dismissed the claims as false but they still went ahead and
published the defamatory story.
Museveni
says that the article was understood by the right-thinking members of the
society that he is dishonest and has abused his position as the Head of State.
"The
plaintiff is a dishonest person who has used his position as President of the
Republic of Uganda to secretly enable himself and people close to him to be
vaccinated with the COVID-19 vaccine, months ahead of health workers and other
vulnerable groups", reads the petition.
He
also says the article presented him as a schemer and conspirator who has
engaged himself in dishonest activities of influence peddling and nepotism.
"It
were understood to mean that the plaintiff has abdicated his duties and
obligations to frontline health workers fighting COVID-19 and other groups that
are vulnerable to the pandemic. The plaintiff cannot be trusted with the high
office of the President of the Republic of Uganda," further reads the
petition.
His
lawyers say that the defamatory statements were widely circulated by the
respondents among the public in Uganda and intentionally through the Daily
Monitor online edition and social media platforms on Twitter and Facebook -
reaching millions of people to shun him.
To
prove this, Museveni has attached evidence from dozens of people who attacked
and criticised him on various social media platforms, which he notes was purely
calculative by the Monitor Publications Limited to make money and sales.
"See
his eyes; the medicine is stronger than him” reads one Facebook comment by a
one, Ben Kyeyo Rugaba on the story.
"Will
the vaccine make him younger,” adds another from Christine Yeko.
Museveni
also defends his suit, saying that he wrote to the Monitor Publication on
February 24th indicating his intention to sue and demanding a retraction
of the statement in vain.
He
now wants the court to issue seven orders including one compelling Monitor
Publication to pull down the said article online and publish an apology to
him on all its platforms with the same prominence as the offending article and
posts and with wordings agreed to by him in advance.
He
also wants the court to issue a permanent injunction restraining Monitor
Publications and their servants from publishing the defamatory words ever
against him. He also wants to be compensated an unspecified amount of money in
form of general and exemplary damages and costs of the suit with interest.
Monitor
Publications Limited has responded to the suit through its lawyers of Nangwala,
Resida and Company Advocates, saying their article wasn't defamatory.
"We
have analyzed the questioned publication very carefully. The words quoted in
your letter were actually not the publication but we're just part of the
publication. The words quoted in their natural and ordinary meaning, even if
untrue cannot pass the test of a defamatory publication" reads the March
3, 2021 response from the Monitor.
Monitor
also adds that the article was published first as a rumour, which was already
in the public domain and sought their views with intentions to dispel the
rumour, which was not done by other publications.
The
civil division High court registrar, Jameson Karemani has summoned Monitor to
file their defence within fifteen days. The matter is before justice Musa
Ssekaana, the head of the High court civil division pending fixing a hearing
date.
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