Abodam Spends X'mas In Prison

Kwaw Kesse
Famous Music Icon Kwaw Kesse, also known as 'Abodam', will spend this year's Christmas and New Year in prison as his lawyers were unable to secure bail for him yesterday.

This would be the third time the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly Circuit Court presided over by William Boampong has denied Kwaw Kesse bail.

The court asked that Kwaw should be sent back to prison custody and brought back on January 5, 2015, despite the visible tears from the musician and desperate pleas from his lawyers.

ABODAM SPEAKS
Abodam, who is standing trial for smoking cannabis, spoke in court for the first time since he was arrested on November 22, 2014.

The presiding judge was about to remand him into prison custody when Abodam raised his hands that he had something to say.

When given the green light to talk, Abodam who looked frail pleaded with the judge to show leniency by granting him bail.

According to Abodam, he was unwell so the judge should grant him bail in order for him to seek proper medical care.

The ace musician promised that he would not abscond when granted bail, and promised that he would be available anytime the court needed him.

But William Boampong, the presiding judge, declined Abodam's passionate appeal and went ahead to remand him again into prison custody.

Earlier on, Kwaw's lawyer, Nana Kwasi Boaitey, told the court that his client was sick so he should be allowed to go for review at the hospital on Tuesday before returning to court.

According to him, his client had been advised by medical doctors that he was not fit to stand trial in court.

The prosecutor, Supt Emmanuel Akunnor, confirmed that indeed Abodam was sick and was scheduled for review on Tuesday as his lawyer said.

The presiding judge, who has consistently stated that narcotic cases are non-bailable, did not take any of the pleas and remanded Abodam into prison custody again.

Abodam after Tuesday's hearing
NO MALICE
Ashanti Regional Police Commander DCOP Kofi Boakye has said the arrest and ongoing prosecution of Kwaw Kesse for smoking a substance suspected to be marijuana was not motivated by malice or ill motive.

The regional police commander said Kwaw Kesse was not arrested solely for the substance he was smoking but also because of the manner in which he was puffing the roll with utter impunity in a public place and near a police barrier.

'Nobody went to Kwaw Kesse's room to smell his mouth and search him to arrest him. He was smoking openly 20 metres from a police barrier and if the police had not arrested him, what do you think would have happened to the confidence and trust that the people have for [the] police…look at the act of impunity. It is not what you do but how you do it in the world, it is not where you are but who you are. It's not a matter as simple as using drug but it is the act of impunity, the act of carelessness [and] the act of lawlessness,' DCOP Kofi Boakye explained on Joy FM 's Super Morning Show.

FROM I.F. Joe Awuah Jnr.,Kumasi