The Director of public prosecutions Jane Frances Abodo has withdrawn charges against the 3 Nigerian artists who were yesterday sent on remand at Kigo and Kitalya government prisons respectively for staging a music concert in Uganda during the current covid -19 lockdown.
The artists including a 23 year old Stanely Omah Didia, a 25 year old female Temilade Openyi and their career manager Muliwa Awoniyi all residents of Lagos in Nigeria had been charged with doing a neglect act likely to cause the spread of an infectious disease (corona).
However today as the suspects were in their respective detention centres , the DPP sent a withdrawal letter dated today -15th/December directing the Makindye court trial magistrate Jude Okumu to discharge the trio and order for their immediate release from prison but ;
the DPP states no reason in her letter for dropping the charges against Omah Didia, Temilade and Awoniyi.
These 3 Nigerian nationals had been jointly charged with 4 Ugandan businessmen and the organisers of the said music show ; Ivan Ddungu, Kisakya Phillip, Benjamin Kabuura and a woman Salima Kim who are scheduled to return to court tomorrow for purposes of hearing their bail application.
The DPP states that the suspects held a music concert last weekend upon which over 200 revellers turned up at Ddungu Resort in Munyonyo -Makindye division which was against the Ministry of Health guidelines on the spread of covid -19.
Video excerpts of this concert were posted on social media something that stirred anger among Ugandan artists who are barred from holding music shows since March due to covid -19 disease prompting police to swing in action.
