Lwengo, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Haruna Mugerwa, a journalist with Vision Group’s Bukedde TV has spent the night in police cells in connection to the death of a guest house attendant in Lwengo district.
Mugerwa is locked up at Mbirizi police station in Lwengo district, as a key suspect in the murder of Janat Nakayiza, 42, a receptionist at Jozana Investments and Lodges in Mbirizi town Ccouncil.
Muhamad Nsubuga, the Greater Masaka Regional Police Spokesperson says that Mugerwa was arrested together with two others, who are also being investigated over the same offence.
According to Nsubuga, the deceased was killed by strangling last week, Thursday and her attackers went away with some properties from her room. Police investigations indicate that Mugerwa stayed in the same guest house when the murder was committed and there is suspicion that he is aware of the incident.
Records on the police file indicate that detectives retrieved CCTV footage, which shows Mugerwa coming out of his guest room moments before the crime was committed. But when he was summoned to record a statement, Mugerwa was not cooperative, which prompted them to hunt him down to help in the ongoing investigations.
He says that the suspects are awaiting a report from the police forensic team that captured their fingerprints to corroborate the marks found on the body when it was recovered.
Patience Ahimbisibwe, a journalist based in Lwengo district told Uganda Radio Network that police are yet to allow them access to Mugerwa to get his story in relation to the accusations.
Mugerwa’s arrest comes barely a month after police in Jinja also arrested two journalists in relation to the murder of a local businessman.
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