Crime & Punishment of Monday, 1 June 2009

Source: GNA

Kwaw Kese's case adjourned

Accra, June 1, GNA - A Circuit Court hearing the case of Ghana's renowned hip-life artiste, Emmanuel Botchway, aka Kwaw Kesse, who is accused of fraud, on Monday adjourned the case at the instance of the defence.

Kesse has been arraigned at the Circuit Court for allegedly defrauding her 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. When the case was called, the defence team of three led by Ms Naa Nortey demanded the full text of Ms Chappell's passport. Meanwhile at the last sitting the defence intimated to the court that it needed relevant portions of Ms Chappell's passport to be photocopied and tendered.

When the case was stood down for the relevant pages of the passport to be photocopied, the photocopier machines of two business centres at the 28th February Courts were faulty.

Ms Nortey therefore suggested to the court to order Ms Chappell to photocopy those portions for the next sitting. At Monday's sitting Ms Chappell had photocopied relevant passages as requested, but the defence demanded the full text of the passport, which she complied with.

As soon as the photocopies were submitted, they were tendered through Ms Chappell. However, Ms Nortey intimated to the court that "the day is far spent. This is our cocoa season, the do or die period and everyone is trying to finish up before we go on legal vacation. If we can come on June 15." The court after admitting the photocopy of the passport in evidence discharged Ms Chappell, who was then in the witness box, and adjourned the matter to June 15.

Police Inspector Jubiok Michaels, earlier told the court that Kesse 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 Ms Chappell returned from the United Kingdom and gave 7,000 pounds to Kesse 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 Kesse was arrested. During Police interrogation, Kesse admitted receiving 1,000 pounds and not 7,000 pounds.