Shatta Wale and Stonebwoy
Popular dancehall artistes,
Livingstone Etse Satekla, aka Stonebwoy, and Charles Nii Armah Mensah,
popularly called Shatta Wale, were yesterday hauled before the Adjabeng Magistrate
Court in Accra for their involvement in the chaos that marred last Saturday’s Vodafone
Ghana Music Awards (VGMA).
The two have been charged with
offensive conduct conducive to breach of the peace, and Stonebwoy is facing
another charge of displaying weapon in public place without permission.
They all pleaded not guilty to the
charges levelled against them.
Bail/Bond
Stonebwoy and Shatta Wale were each granted
bail in the sum of GH¢50,000.00 by the court, presided over
by Mr. Isaac Addo, with one surety each.
The two accused persons were also
cautioned by the court to be of good behaviour during the case before the
court.
The case was adjourned until June 20.
Dock
Pals
The rival artistes, who hardly agree
on anything, became ‘pals’ for a few minutes, as they were placed in the same
dock when they appeared before the court.
The two were generally calm
throughout the court proceedings, as their lawyers pleaded with the court to
grant them bail pending the trial.
While Stonebwoy was represented by Selali
Wonya, Shatta Wale’s lawyer was Jerry Avenyor.
The two rival artistes, who have huge
following in the entertainment industry, disrupted the awards held at the Accra
International Conference Centre.
Shatta Wale and his entourage charged
on Stonebwoy, who was on stage receiving the Dancehall Artiste of the Year
Award during the event.
Crowd
Fans of the two artistes thronged the
court’s premises in their numbers to show solidarity with them.
There was also a heavy police
presence to maintain calm because of the seeming mounting tension between the camps.
Arrest
Stonebwoy and Shatta Wale were
arrested on Sunday for causing chaos on stage during the 20th
edition of the VGMA.
They were denied bail and kept in police
custody until Monday evening.
The two were cautioned and released
on police enquiry bail.
VGMA
Violence
It was an exhibition of sheer
lawlessness on the awards night when Stonebwoy pulled a gun on stage after
Shatta Wale and his entourage charged on him.
Stonebwoy, with his ‘army’ called Bhim
Nation, and Shatta Wale with his ‘militants’ called Shatta Movement or SM for
Life,’ engaged in fisticuffs on open stage during the ceremony which was
telecast live on TV3 and DSTV to more than 43 countries.
Some music-loving fans and other
patrons were said to have sustained injuries in the ensuing melee.
Charterhouse
Some of his followers are claiming he
wanted to go on stage to ‘congratulate’ his fiercest rival Stonebwoy, but many
people are blaming Charterhouse, the organisers of the VGMA, for the incompetent
manner in which it handled the entire event.
Statements
The Accra Regional Police Command
later released a statement condemning the act and gave assurance that
organisers and all suspects were cooperating with the police and that those
found culpable would be arraigned.
Stonebwoy later released a statement
in which he apologised for the part he played in the chaos which marred the
awards night.
Charterhouse also released a statement apologising for the scuffle while Vodafone Ghana Limited, sponsors of the award, also issued a statement to condemn the act, but said it would continue to support the music industry.
By Gibril Abdul Razak
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