(MISA/IFEX) – Police at the Dar es Salaam central police station held journalist Fred Okumu for some two hours on 15 June 1999 and tried to force him to reveal the source of a story which appeared in the “Daily Mail” that same day. Okumu had penned an article reporting on alleged overcrowding at the […]
(MISA/IFEX) – Police at the Dar es Salaam central police station held
journalist Fred Okumu for some two hours on 15 June 1999 and tried to force
him to reveal the source of a story which appeared in the “Daily Mail” that
same day.
Okumu had penned an article reporting on alleged overcrowding at the central
police station. On 15 June, the day the article appeared in the paper, Okumu
went to the police station as part of a follow-up for the article. Okumu was
confronted by the regional police spokesperson, Buka Kibona, who accused him
of “traversing the borders” because of his investigation into police
activities. Kibona demanded that Okumu reveal the source of his information.
Okumu was instructed to give a written statement explaining how he had
obtained his information. At no time did the police dispute the substance of
Okumu’s article.
Okumu told MISA that he eventually dictated a statement to a policeman, but
did not reveal the source of his information.
