Entertainment of Friday, 6 September 2019

Source: www.ghanaweb.com

Police intimidate woman for asking about abuse allegations against Chalewote organiser

Mantse Aryequaye, Director, Charlewote Street Art Festival Mantse Aryequaye, Director, Charlewote Street Art Festival

More people are coming out to tell their story of abuse against Charlewote founder and CEO, Mantse Nii Aryequaye.

Earlier today, Sionne Rameah Neely, Co-Founder and ex-girlfriend of Mantse Aryeequaye shared her harrowing experience in a post titled ‘Speaking My Truth’, in which she detailed the abusive nature of Mantse.

An artist who participated in the just ended Chale wote festival has disclosed how she was accosted and intimidated by mufti dressed Police personnel after she sought to investigate the validity of allegations against Matse Aryequare.

The artist by name Nzinga Bandida took to her twitter page to speak about her ordeal.

According to her, she read and heard that Mantse was abusive towards women prior to her arrival in Ghana as a participant in the annual Chale wote festival.

Upon arriving in the country, she asked some of Mantse’s workers and other artists if they know about the allegations against the event organizer but no one seemed bothered about it.

“Cause don't nobody wants their name associated with a festival led by an abuser and that protects abuser. At least I don't, many of the artists did not give half of a f%&#, "I’m here to show my work and go" ok,” one of her many tweets read.

Nzinga further reveals that while she was waiting to speak on one of the panels for the event, one of the organisers told her someone was looking for her only for her to go out and meet two men who introduced themselves as police officers even though they were in civil attire.

She said they asked her about the allegations against Mantse in an intimidating manner but she brushed them off and went her way.

“At that point, I respectfully tell them to go suck their dads and go after the real abusers instead of harassing the whistleblowers. They seemed surprised. Maybe they were expecting me to actually be intimidated? Dunno, I hope they were paid well,” another tweet reads.

Nzinga who writes in another tweet that she told the organizer she was disappointed in him for calling her out for such a thing said the organizer claimed he was oblivious of the reason they came looking for her but could not assure her of her safety in Accra.



Even though she wanted to leave the country back to her base, she couldn’t because she had many people coming in to see her work and they convinced her to stay till the festival ends but with the unfolding of events, she says she isn’t going to participate in the festival in subsequent years.