Government Chief Whip Thomas Tayebwa has through his lawyers Ortus Advocates written to Monitor Publications Limited to make a public apology over an alleged malicious article they published against him.
A Daily Monitor cover story put Mr Tayebwa and Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja on spot for recruiting their relatives into fat public offices which they head.
The daily has reported that Nabbanja and Tayebwa had recruited into offices their biological children or close relatives.
In a demand of retraction and apology/ notice of intention to sue dated 20th September, 2021, Tayebwa’s lawyers Ortus Advocates told Monitor Publications Limited’s Managing Editor Tabu Butagira that their front page headline prominently entitled “Nabbanja, Tayebwa fill offices with relatives” is full of shocking, reckless and defamatory statements and constitutes libel “per se Hon Tayebwa is quite frankly dismayed by the depth and outright lies you published with the aim of tarnishing his name and misleading the public as to his integrity and candour for your material and nefarious benefit”.
“The story is full of false, defamatory, destructive and replete with downright fabrications which you fully know to be untrue, thereby exposing you to liability to damages. For example, you claim that Muruhura Moses, Atuheire Annah and Muheebwa Henry are relatives of Hon Tayebwa which is patently false,”the lawyers told Monitor Publications.
” The conduct of Mr Stephen Kafeero, your reporter was aimed at maximizing the reputational damage to our client. He only contacted our client regarding this story on Saturday, the September 18th 2021 at 11:03am. Our clienf shared the contact of the Director in the office of the Leader of Government Business and also guided that he wouls be in better position to provide the required information regarding this sensitive matter. Mr Kafeero was disdained and ignored the guidance and instead went ahead to publish the defamatory information by 3pm on the same day.”
Now Tayebwa through his lawyers demand that Monitor Publications immediately cease any further flase publications against the Government Chief Whip, remove the statements from all their platforms, publicly apologise and confirm they will not in future publish such statements again.
“For avoidance of doubt, the apology must be clear, succinct and approved by us and with the same prominence as the defamatory story.
” Failure to do so within 7 days will leave Hon Tayebwa with no option but to pursue all available actions and remedies against you personally,”the lawyers noted.
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