The manager of the Radio and Weasel, Lawrence Labeja, was arrested and detained at Jinja Road Police Station in Kampala in connection with obtaining money by false pretense.
Labeja, who manages singing duo Radio and Weasel, was taken into police custody for reportedly obtaining sh6m from promoter Balaam Barugahare.
It is understood the money was for the musicians to perform in Nwoya Town in northern Uganda on Wednesday last week at an event where President Yoweri Museveni was the guest of honour.
The thanksgiving function was organized by the NRM deputy secretary general and MP for Nwoya County, Richard Tadwong together with the Katerera county MP, Katoto Hatwib.
After the President launched the Yellow Book written by Tadwong, the singers were expected to perform before the crowd but they failed to show up, prompting Balaam and MP Katoto to start hunting for them.
Balaam told the police that he had agreed with Labeja that the singers would arrive in Gulu on the eve of the function to enable them perform the next day. He said they booked them four rooms in Acholi Inn Hotel in Gulu but none of them showed up.
"When Honorable Katoto called (Moses) Radio on phone, he instead abused him, saying he did not know him," Balam stated.
The promoter explained that efforts to recover the money from the singers were also futile, prompting him to file a case at Jinja Road Police of obtaining money by false pretense against the singers.
Balaam said that he got in touch with police detectives who launched a hunt for the singers but after failure to get them, he was advised by his lawyers to instead arrest the manager who signed for the money.
"So we finally zeroed on Labeja and managed to arrest him yesterday [Thursday]. Radio and Weasel had denied the money but they tried to pay me one million shillings (sh1m) which I refused,” he explained.
Balaam demanded for the reimbursement of the sh6m, sh1m in damages plus sh500,000 he used in facilitating the hunt for the singers for four days – making a total of sh7.5m.
The duo’s manager, Labeja, who worked for the Firebase Crew and left after misunderstandings with Bobi Wine, was released at about 6pm on Thursday after Radio, Weasel and other artistes fundraised for him.
"This would be a serious warning to all artistes who obtain money from promoters and other people to perform and fail to turn up and also refuse to pay back. We shall treat them the same way" warned Balaam.
The Kampala Metropolitan Police spokesman, Patrick Onyango confirmed that Labeja had been arrested over obtaining money by false pretense but was released in the evening after paying the money he owed Balaam.
Story first appeared on New Vision
