Ultimate Media

Two senior news editors of the Daily Monitor newspaper accused of alleged forgery of a letter written by the President have challenged the charge sheet on which they are being prosecuted.

Henry Ochieng, the political editor and Daniel Kalinaki, the managing editor were charged in August last year with forgery, after publishing contents of a leaked letter that appeared in the Sunday monitor of August 2nd 2009.

The editors through their lawyers, James Nangwala and Elvis Twenda, said the charge sheet the government is using to prosecute them is not specific on the particular provisions of the penal code act.

The editors also argue that they have not been informed of the offence they allegedly committed so that they prepare their defence.

The news editors asked Court to order the state to amend the charge sheet, specifying the offence they committed as per the Penal code act.

The prosecution says the editors of daily monitor newspaper forged president Museveni’s letter titled ‘Guidance on the Banyoro/Bafuruki question’ by altering some words to include the word ‘Bahima’ instead of Bahuma.’

The accused Ugandan journalists appeared before the chief magistrate of Makindye court, Joyce Kavuma who adjourned the case until Monday when she will pass her ruling on whether the prosecution should amend the charge sheet.

The Magistrate also directed the prosecution to avail the accused Ugandan journalists with a copy of the president’s letter and statements by the witnesses to enable the accused prepare their defence in time.