Ghana Court Room: No Water Allowed

Kwaw Kese's reprimanded for drinking water in the dock

Accra, June 15, GNA - One of Ghana's renowned hip-life artistes, Emmanuel Botchway, aka Kwaw Kese, who is accused of fraud, was on Monday reprimanded for drinking water in the dock.

"Don't be drinking water while in the dock. You can drink the water while sitting," the court said.

Kese, who always comes to court with a bottle of water, apologized saying, "My lord, I am sorry."

Kese has been arraigned for allegedly defrauding his ex-lover, Ms Happi Chappell, of 7,000 pounds sterling.

The money was to have been used for a building at Prampram in the Greater Accra Region.

He has denied the charge of fraud and is on GH¢15,000 bail. There were some hitches when second prosecution witness, Ms Rose Acquah, daughter of Ms Chappell mounted the witness box. Ms Acquah in her evidence mixed up date on which Ms Chappell said her mother arrived in Ghana.

Witness told the court that her mother arrived from the United Kingdom on December 4, 2008 but when she heard a whisper in the court that it was rather January 4, 2009, she pleaded with the court to correct the date.

The defence counsel, Naa Nortey, therefore suggested to the court to either empty the court or hearing be conducted in chambers. The court obliged and emptied the court but the audience was called back after 10 minutes for hearing to continue.

Led in evidence by Police Inspector Jubiok Michaels, Ms Acquah admitted knowing Kese through Ms Chappell.

The witness said on January 4, this year, she had a call from her mother at 0800 hours that she had arrived from United Kingdom and was lodging in a hotel on the Spintex Road. Witness said she arrived at the hotel at 1100 hours and her mother showed her a bag containing money. According to the witness, Ms Chappell requested that she removed the money from the bag.

She said there were seven bundles of 50 pound sterling notes. Witness said Ms Chappell asked her to count the money and after doing so, she (Ms Chappell) handed over the money to Kese. The witness said soon after Ms Chappell handed over the money to the accused, she (Ms Chappell) told her that Kese was the one who was seeing to the building of the hotel at Prampram. Witness said Kese after collecting the money left them in the hotel room.

She said she later gave a statement to the Police at the Offices Regional Criminal Investigation Department. The prosecution earlier told the court that Kese and Ms Chappell were "good lovers" in 2008 and she decided to develop her plot of land at Prampram after the two had visited the site.

The prosecution said in January this year, Ms Chappell returned from the United Kingdom and gave 7,000 pounds to Kese but he failed to use the money for the project.

After several attempts to collect her money, she lodged a complaint with the Police and Kese was arrested.

During Police interrogation, Kese admitted receiving 1,000 pounds and not 7,000 pounds. The case was adjourned to June 23.