Entertainment of Monday, 6 June 2011

Source: News One

Mzbel Arrested For Beating Policeman

Celebrated Ghanaian songstress Mzbel spent the weekend weeping in police cells and would this morning be processed for court. Mzbel, aged 31, and two other accomplices were arrested by officials of the Motor Transport and Traffic Unit (MTTU) for physically assaulting a uniformed policeman on official duty.

The musician and two others were reported to have deliberately run their Mitsubishi 4x4 vehicle with registration number GR 9470-11 into the policeman who fell on the bonnet of the vehicle They then speed off and drove for a distance, with the policeman still hooked dangerously on the bonnet while eyewitnesses screamed at the horror of what was happening.

Their vehicle was eventually forced to stop when it was crossed by a private security van. Police sources said when Mzbel got out of the Mitsubishi, she started yelling at the cop, claiming he had no right to cross their way. The musician got more physical and held the uniformed policeman by the neck in an attempt to strangle him while pushing a clenched fist in his face but onlookers rushed to the rescue of the policeman.

Reports said when Mzbel realized she had fallen foul of the law, she started wailing, claiming to have been assaulted by the policeman instead, but onlookers started hooting at her.

The vehicle and its occupants were therefore taken to the MTTU headquarters where the three were arrested for various offences and placed in custody to be processed for court this morning. Mzbel and her accomplices could face jail terms if found guilty.

According to police reports, Mzbel aka Nana Ekua Amoah, was in the vehicle alongside Emmanuel Paa Kwesi, 31 and Maxwell Mawuli, 32. Police reports said around midday last Saturday, a police MTTU officer on duty at the Tudu traffic light in Accra realized there was heavy traffic on a section of the road which obstructed the free flow of vehicles.

The officer, in his attempt to identify the cause, realized it was caused by a Mitsubishi 4x4 vehicle with registration number GR9470-11, driven by one Emmanuel Paa Kwesi. He therefore requested to see the driver’s license. Police sources disclosed that after the cop’s inquiry, the suspect hurriedly left the driver’s seat and handed over to Maxwell Mamuli who was reportedly rude to the policeman.

But the policeman, who was not deterred by the conduct, insisted on seeing the license of Emmanuel Paa Kwesi. Maxwell Mamuli ignored his request, started the vehicle and hit the cop who fell on the bonnet of the vehicle while Mamuli drove away at top speed, regardless of what happened to him. A private security van, with a policeman on board who witnessed the incident, also took a different direction and blocked the Mitsubishi on the main road to ensure they never escaped from the crime they had purportedly committed.

National MTTU Commander ACP Augwubutoge Awuni, who confirmed the arrest on Saturday, said Mzbel would spend the weekend in police detention at the Ministries Police Station while the rest would be held at the MTTU cells. He used the opportunity to caution music stars not to have the impression they were above the law and as such could abuse any person at will.

The MTTU Boss underscored the need for the citizenry to be law-abiding, irrespective of their status, reiterating that once someone went against, the security agency would go after such a person.