President Yoweri Museveni's legal adviser was pictured today armed with an automatic pistol during a fracas over voting in the northeast of Uganda.
Despite scattered reports of irregularities and some skirmishes, Thursday's polls passed off without widespread violence, confounding many who had feared a repeat of bloodshed at the last elections in 2001.
But with hundreds of foreign observers watching the vote, a front page picture showed lawyer Fox Odoi carrying a gun as five half-naked captives lay nearby.
The independent Monitornewspaper claimed its photographer, John Emojong, was beaten by Mr Odoi after he took the picture and then arrested by police officers under the lawyer's command.
"Odoi grabbed my camera and phone," Mr Emojong said. "They bundled me onto a pick-up (truck) with other people."
Elsewhere in Tororo district, the Monitorsaid Mr Museveni's legal assistant "fired bullets, assaulted people and hunted down suspected Kenyans, who turned out to be Ugandans".
Mr Odoi did not return a request for comment from Reuters. Police have called him in for questioning.
"He is being investigated for allegations of threatening violence, excessive use of force, possession of maybe an illegal weapon and violating the electoral process," a police spokesman said.