Miss Malaika Charged For Stealing

Hamamat Montia-and boyfriend Versa Keskinen
THE BENCH warrant issued by an Accra Circuit Court for the arrest of Hamamat Montia, winner of the 2006 Miss Malaika beauty pageant, has been rescinded.

The warrant was issued following Hamamat's failure to appear before the court presided over by Jennifer Myers Ahmed on a stealing charge.

The Malaika queen, who had been accused of stealing an unregistered Toyota Highlander 2008 model valued at $35,000, and belonging to her former Finnish boyfriend, appeared in the company of her lawyer to have the warrant rescinded.

She was further charged with the offence of stealing but pleaded not guilty.

The court after her lawyer, Addo Atuah's intervention, granted her a GH¢100,000 bail with two sureties, one to be a public servant.

The case had been adjourned to January 20, 2014 for hearing.

Hamamat allegedly claimed her former boyfriend, one Keskinen, gave the vehicle to her as a birthday gift when they were in love and even published it on the Internet.

However, Keskinen, the CEO of Veljekset Keskinen Oy in Finland, had denied publishing such information on the internet.

The police said Hamamat failed to open the said publication on the internet for investigations.

The facts were that in 2010, one Carl, a native of Finland, introduced Hamamat to Keskinen as a professional model in Ghana who he could do business with.

The complainant reportedly told Hamamat he was organizing a beauty contest for African ladies in Europe and would like her to participate as one of the judges.

After the programme, the two fell in love when the Malaika queen visited Finland on a three-month business trip, which period she spent with Keskinen.

Keskinen later visited Ghana to study the business environment and Hamamat took him round in a rented vehicle.

The complainant later decided to purchase a vehicle to use whenever he came to Ghana on his business trips.

When Keskinen discussed with the accused that he wanted to buy a car to use any time he arrived in the country on a business trip, Hamamat allegedly introduced him to De-Gjando Company Limited, a car sales company.

Keskinen bought the Toyota Highlander 2008 model from the company at a price of $35,000.

After making full payment, Keskinen left the vehicle under the care of the company, together with his particulars and passport pictures for the vehicle to be registered in his name.

When Hamamat went to Finland for the third time, she reportedly had problems with the complainant and their relationship turned sour.

Two weeks later when she returned, Hamamat, allegedly without the knowledge of her boyfriend, went to the company and requested the vehicle to attend a relative's funeral.

The company released the vehicle to her but she allegedly refused to send it back and rather demanded the original documents of the vehicle from the company, which request was turned down.

After threatening the officials with a court action, the company released the document to her and Hamamat purportedly registered the car in her name.

All efforts by the complainant to retrieve the car had proved futile; hence the matter was reported to the police, ending up in court.

By Mary Anane