Criminal Code > TITLE VII CRIMES AGAINST 1

TITLE VII CRIMES AGAINST PUBLIC SAFETY AND THE SECURITY OF COMMUNICATIONS

CHAPTER I CRIMES AGAINST PUBLIC SAFETY

Article 494- Arson.

(1) Whoever maliciously or with the intention of causing danger of collective injury to persons or property, sets fire to his own property or to that of another whether it be building or structures of any kind, crops or agricultural products, forests, timber or any other objects,

Is punishable with rigorous imprisonment not exceeding ten years.

(2) Where the crime creates substantial danger, or where the risk of injury to persons or property is widespread, especially where public buildings or buildings used by a public service, inhabited houses or houses used for living in, contractors yards or stock yards, stores of provisions or inflammable or explosive substances, forests, mines, oil wells or refineries, ships, aircraft or any other objects particularly susceptible to fire, are affected,

The punishment shall be rigorous imprisonment not exceeding fifteen years.

Article 495- Provocation of Natural Disaster.

Whoever maliciously causes a flood or submergence, a landslide, a fall of rock or earth, a collapse or any other like catastrophe, thereby deliberately creating a danger to person or property, Is punishable under Article 494.

Article 496- Damage to Installations or Protective Works.

Whoever maliciously damages or destroys electrical or hydraulic installations, or works providing protection against natural forces, especially culverts, dams, reservoirs, dykes, sluices gates or jetties, thereby deliberately creating a danger to person or property,Is punishable under Article 494.

Article 497- Explosions.

Whoever maliciously causes gas, oil, petrol, gunpowder, dynamite or any other similar dangerous substance to explode, thereby creating a danger toe person or property,Is punishable under Article 494.

Article 498- Crimes Resulting from Negligence.

Where the criminal has committed any of the crimes specified in Articles 494 to 497 negligently, the punishment shall be simple imprisonment or fine, according to the gravity of the crime. The Court shall pass sentence of simple imprisonment where the criminal has gravely endangered persons or property.

Article 499- Danger caused by the use of Explosive, Inflammable of Poisonous Substances.

(1) Whoever, with intent to endanger public safety, knowingly exposes to danger the life, health, person or property of another, by means of explosives, of substances which are spontaneously combustible or highly inflammable or poisonous gases,

Is punishable with rigorous imprisonment not exceeding ten years.

Where the criminal has exposed property only to minor damage, the punishment shall be simple imprisonment for not less than six months.

(2) The punishment shall be rigorous imprisonment from five years to fifteen years in cases where the crime has been committed by placing, discharging or detonating an explosive or an incendiary weapon, which is designed to cause or is capable of causing death or serious bodily injury or substantial damage to property through the release or dissemination of biological agents or toxin against a place of public use, a State or government facility, a public transportation system or infrastructure facility with the intent to cause death or serious bodily injury or extensive destruction of such place or system where such destruction can result or is likely to result in major economic loss.

(3) Whoever, knowingly but without intent to endanger public safety, endangers in like manner the life, person, health or property of another, is punishable with simple imprisonment.

(4) Whoever, in the manner specified under sub-article (1), negligently endangers the life, person, health or property of another, is punishable with simple imprisonment.

(5) In less serious cases under sub-article (2) or (3), the Court may substitute for simple imprisonment punishment of compulsory labour, or impose a fine.

Article 500- Illicit Making, Acquisition, Concealment or Transport of Explosive, Inflammable or Poisonous Substances.

(1) Whoever makes explosives, incendiary or poisonous substances, knowing that they are intended for unlawful use,

Is punishable with simple imprisonment for not less than six months, or, in serious cases, with rigorous imprisonment not exceeding ten years.

(2) Whoever, knowing that another wishes to make unlawful use of such substances mentioned in sub-article (1), furnishes him with means or instructions for making them,

Is punishable with simple imprisonment for not less than six months, or, in serious cases, with rigorous imprisonment not exceeding seven years.

(3) Whoever, knowing that they are intended for unlawful use, imports, acquires or procures explosive, incendiary or poisonous substances or the materials used in their manufacture, hands them over to or receives them from another, or stores, conceals or transports them whether for consideration or free of charge,

Is punishable with simple imprisonment for not less than six months, or, in serious cases, with rigorous imprisonment not exceeding five years.

Article 501- Culpable Infringement of Building Rules.

(1) Whoever, in supervising or carrying out the erection of a building or a demolition of any kind, infringes the rules laid down by law or disregards normal safety measures based on building practice and thereby endangers public safety or the life, health or person of others, or the safety of the property of another,

(2) Where the crime is committed negligently, the punishment shall be simple imprisonment not exceeding one year, or fine.

Article 502- Removal or Culpable Omission of Protective Apparatus or Devices.

(1) Whoever intentionally:-

a) destroys, removes, damages, renders unserviceable or puts out of commission a device intended to prevent accidents in any undertaking, factory, mine or any other working; or

b) omits to install any safety measures required by law or by the order of a competent authority and thereby endangers the safety of another,

is punishable with simple imprisonment and fine.

(2) Where the crime is committed negligently, the punishment shall be simple imprisonment not exceeding one year, or fine not exceeding five thousand Birr.

Article 503- Failure to Give Warning of Grave Public Danger.

Whoever, where it is possible for him to do so without risk to himself or others, fails to warn the competent authority or responsible departments, or fails to take the measures necessary to prevent or to put out a fire, an explosion, a flood or any other accident likely to endanger life, health or property,

Is punishable with simple imprisonment not exceeding one year, or fine.

Article 504- Reserved Cases.

Nothing in this Chapter shall affect the provisions regarding destruction or sabotage of installations serving the national defence or sabotage of military installations (Arts. 247(a), 308, 309 and 327(a)).