[kictanet] POPULAR BLOGGER DENNIS ITUMBI ARRESTED

[Grace Mutung'u (Bomu)]

This may be of interest from a freedom of information and national security
balance perspective...

http://thejackalnews.com/media-news/news-media/1755-police-arrest-journalist-itumbi-over-clasiffied-documents
*JACKAL NEWS -* Journalist and blogger Dennis Itumbi has been arrested by
the Kenya police investigating the origin of a document claiming that the
British government was pushing for the indictment of President Kibaki by
the International Criminal Court.



The Jackal News sources said they understood that, besides the ''UK
document'' issue, his detention is also part of police investigation into
the claims by the ICC prosecutor that some witnesses in the case against
four Kenyans had been threatened.

Itumbi was arrested by the Criminal Investigations Department officers in
Embu Thursday evening and brought to Nairobi for questioning, several
sources told Jackal News.

He is being held at the Muthaiga Police Station, where he spoke to
reporters who visited him early this morning (Friday).

It was not immediately clear the nature of evidence that police may have
against him over the document tabled in parliament on March 8.

Speculation on Twitter suggested that police had been arrested him for
having access to ‘‘classified documents’’, whatever that means.

His arrest came amid a move by the journalst last week that he had given a
notice to sue a blogger who allegedly linked him to the writing of the
document, which also claimed that the British government was seeking the
detention, by ICC of MPs William Ruto and Uhuru Kenyatta.

‘‘Media freedom is under threat in this country. The new constitution, even
if it was voted on overwhelmingly is not working,’’ Itumbu told reporters
from Muthaiga Police station early Friday.

 ‘‘No matter the nature of intimidation, I will not reveal the sources of
the information I have. It is suicidal. I will die for it,’’ he said,
suggesting that police may be seeking to question him about what he knows
about the controversial document.

 A friend, Martin Gitau, posted on Twitter overnight: ‘‘Intimidation as
blogger Dennis Itumbi arrested by CID officers in Embu.’’

 The police had not issued any statement by 2am Friday.

Last week, Itumbi, through his lawyer, issued a formal complaint against
Robert Alai, asking him to apologize for allegedly linking him to the
‘‘British government’’ document or, failure to which, he would institute
legal proceedings.

Itumbi has said he is not the source of the document in question.

Meanwhile, Attorney General Githu Muigai has ordered police to investigate
claims by the ICC prosecutor, Luis Moreno-Ocampo, of email hacking and
intimidation of witnesses.

 Muigai said that he had received a complaint from Ocampo that there was
“hacking of email accounts of a person of interest” to his office.



-- 
Grace L.N. Mutung'u (Bomu)
Kenya
Skype: gracebomu
Twitter: GraceMutung'u (Bomu)
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