News channels and social media for the past few days have been awash with stories on Shatta Wale and some of his team members who set out to pull a prank on the general public.
Currently, the dancehall artiste and three other accomplices have been remanded into police custody for a week.
They were remanded by an Accra Circuit Court on Thursday, October 21, 2021, during their first appearance in court.
A fourth accomplice who is also a member of Wale’s crew was arrested on Wednesday, October 20, 2021.
Shatta Wale was picked up by the police for spreading false news about an assassination attempt at his residence on October 19, 2021.
The shooting prophecy
On September 28, 2021, a prophet called Jesus Ahuofe in a radio interview on Accra FM said that it had been revealed to him that a renowned dancehall artiste whose name starts with ‘Charles’ would be shot dead on October 18, 2021.
The prophet had made reference to how South African reggae icon Lucky Dube was shot dead and added that a similar thing would happen to the dancehall artiste he prophesied about.
He, therefore, asked that the artistes should seek spiritual protection to avert the murder.
Shatta Wale’s response to the Prophecy
When the story about the prophecy broke, Shatta Wale made a comment on social media that was taken in jest by a lot of people.
He wrote, “Ok I hear, I will buy bulletproof and commando dress. Thank you for seeing that Sadiq wants to shoot at me in October.”
Shatta Wale made the statement in reference to a rift he had with Abu Sadiq, who is the Chief Executive Officer of 3Music Awards.
When social media was inundated with gunshot rumours
On the evening of Monday, October 18, 2021, Ghana’s social media space was flooded with posts suggesting that Shatta Wale had been shot by some gunmen at East Legon.
The posts originally made on Facebook and Snapchat by Nana Dope, Gangee, and Ras Deportee also mentioned that the artiste was shot while in the rain.
In one of Nana Dope’s posts, he asked Shatta’s fans to pray for him.
They said his condition was so serious that he had been admitted to a hospital.
Police issues first statement
At failed attempts by the media and other interested parties to ascertain the verity of the claims, an official statement was released by the Ghana Police Service.
According to the Police, they had gone to Shatta Wale’s house but could not find him. They has also not recorded any such incident on the said day.
Shatta Wale broke silence after the police report
In a lengthy Facebook post, Shatta Wale apologized to his fans and people who had been affected by the prank to forgive him.
He suggested that he took the phones of the team members and posted about the fake attack.
According to Shatta Wale, he was surprised that the security services could not give him protection after that prophecy came.
The arrests and appearance in court
Shatta Wale appeared in court on Thursday, October 21, 2021, together with his two associates to answer the charges leveled against him.
The dancehall artiste was arrested by police on Tuesday, October 20, 2021, after two of his team members, Nana Dope and Gangee had already been picked up by the police.
Bishop Stephen Kwesi Appiah aka Jesus Ahuofe of New Life Kingdom Chapel who prophesied that Shatta Wale would be shot dead on October 18, 2021, was also arrested on the same day and put before the court.
What could be Shatta Wale’s punishment?
But a private legal practitioner, Yaw Oppong said on ‘Point of View’ on Citi TV that Shatta Wale could be sentenced to a three-year maximum jail term if convicted by a court of competent jurisdiction.
He may, however, be cautioned or fined and released if the judge is to pronounce a more lenient punishment for him on the charges brought against him by the police.
He indicated that the charges of publication of false news and causing fear and panic brought against Shatta Wale and two of his associates is a misdemeanour that attracts more lenient sanctions as compared to a felony.
Explaining the conditions under which Shatta Wale can be convicted, Yaw Oppong said the laws against the publication of fake news stipulate that the accused person must have first been aware or should have been aware that the information published was false.
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By: Kwame Dadzie | Ghana Weekend