Police harasses another journalist over Dott Services Limited
By Drone Writer
Police officers at CID Headquarters are reportedly holding Darius Magara, a former New Vision journalist, who now runs an online news magazine. According to a message Magara sent to The Drone Media, he is being held over a story he published about Dott Services Limited, a construction company some MPs on Physical Infrastructure Committee protested against, saying it has a history of shoddy works.
As it is, Dott Services Limited is using police to silence journalists. Pidson Kareire, the Editor of this magazine, was also interrogated over similar story about Dott Services Limited, and his phones confiscated to date. The story that was published was mainly proceedings of the Physical Infrastructure Committee, which is protected by the Act of Parliament and by law it is not supposed to be questioned at all.
As if that was not enough, various media houses/channels published the story and it was widely covered. Surprisingly, Dott Services Limited is victimizing individual journalists, worst of all, police officers are abusing the rights of journalists.
- truth.
- the allegedly defamatory statement was merely a statement of opinion.
- consent to the publication of the allegedly defamatory statement.
- absolute privilege.
- qualified privilege.
- retraction of the allegedly defamatory statement.
What is needed to prove libel?To prove prima facie defamation, a plaintiff must show four things: 1) a false statement purporting to be fact; 2) publication or communication of that statement to a third person; 3) fault amounting to at least negligence; and 4) damages, or some harm caused to the person or entity who is the subject of the statement.
https://thedronemedia.ug/mps-protest-dott-services-contract-award-for-uganda-drc-roads-over-previous-shoddy-works/