Dutchman accused of Ugandan man's drowning in Ghent arrested again days before trial
One of the two Dutch suspects in the case surrounding the drowning death of a 53-year-old man during the Gentse Feesten in 2022 has been arrested again in the Netherlands for other offenses. The 24-year-old main suspect from Goes will not be extradited for the trial, which is scheduled for Monday. As a result, the presiding judge will likely postpone the case, reported the news agency Belga.
It is not yet known for which offenses the man was recently arrested. The lawyers of the two suspects and the East Flanders Public Prosecution Service are not yet commenting.
53-year-old Hakim Mutyaba drowned on 17 July 2022 in the early Sunday morning after summer city festivals in the Flemish city. The two Dutchmen, aged 24 and 26, had walked with him. Camera images allegedly show that they were fooling around with each other. The younger of the two Dutchmen allegedly threw the Ghent man over the bridge railing. Mutyaba could not swim and drowned.
The main suspect is charged with aggravated assault and death through negligence. Both men are accused of not helping the man in mortal danger. The request of the victim’s relatives to prosecute the suspects for manslaughter was denied.
