Freedom City Mall Stampede: Music promoter Abtex Remanded To Luzira Prison
By Uganda Online Media
Popular music promoter Abbey Musinguzi aka Abtex will live to regret the year 2023 after being sent to Luzira prison over negligence that saw 10 people including minors die during a stampede at Freedom City Mall on new year’s eve.
On Monday Police spokesperson Fred Enanga confirmed that they had arrested Abtex and were also hunting for other event organisers who were part of the fateful event.
According to Enanga, the stampede came when the MC of the event made an announcement for the revellers to move out to watch a fireworks display and return in one exit which exhibited negligence on the side of the organizers.
“Security had locked four other exits and entries and the revellers had to use one point of entry and exit. Therefore, several victims were trapped and tramped upon through the narrow passage which became a bottleneck for many, mostly juveniles,” Enanga said.
Following the arrest, Abtex was on Tuesday afternoon arraigned before the magistrate’s court in Makindye and eight counts related to negligence leading to the death of 10 people contrary to section 227 of the Penal Code Act were read to him.
According to the state prosecutor, Eunice Opia, Abtex who was the organizer of the concert in a manner so rush and negligent caused the death of nine people by closing other outlets of the venue leaving only one small gate which could not allow over 20,000 people to move easily out of the concert venue.
Abitex who is represented by Erias Lukwago from Lukwago and Company Advocates. however denied the charges and was remanded until January 10, 2023.
According to section 227 of the Penal Code Act, any person who, by any rash or negligent act not amounting to manslaughter, causes the death of another person is liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding seven years or to a fine not exceeding seventy thousand shillings or to both such imprisonment and fine.
Section 228 states that any person who does any act with respect to, or omits to take proper precautions against, any probable danger, from any machinery of which he or she is solely or partly in charge of commits a negligent act.
