Freedom City owner summoned over fatalities

Police has summoned the owner of the Freedom City, a one John Ssebalamu.  Businessman John Ssebalamu is the owner of Freedom City, a mall where 10 Ugandans; including children died as a result of a stampetee.

Ssebalamu is today, associated with Freedom City, the multi-million dollar shopping mall and leisure centre in Najjanankumbi on Entebbe Road.

According to a police statement signed by Fred Enanga, the public is informed that the task team, actively investigating the tragic new year concert incident, where 10 concert goers died at Freedom City, on the 1.01.2023, managed to charge the promoter of the event, a one Abby Musinguzi, with 9 counts of Rash or Negligent Acts causing death C/S 277 of the Penal Code Act.

This followed legal guidance from the office of the DPP, after establishing that there were defects in the planning and control of the concert, that cost the lives of 9 concert goers and put others at risk.

The statement further revealed that police has now summoned for questioning; the proprietor of the venue, the managers, other organizers of the event, the masters of ceremony, ushers, bouncers and private security guards who were dedicated to the event.

Also summoned are police officers and other security personnel who were deployed to secure the event. At a later stage, we shall listen to the parents to some of the children to establish how they separated from them and got trapped in the passageway and gates.

Additionally,  police says, “we are going to share a comprehensive list of guidelines on various aspects of planning and managing events, in partnership with the police, inorder to avoid a repeat of such tragic incidents.”

In the statement police says  more progressive updates will be communicated accordingly. According to this statement, investigations seem not to have been completed, but Abitex was rushed to prison, yet the onus is on the owner and police officers who guarded the place.