<<Print>>

Mensah Thompson, Executive Director of the Alliance for Social Equity and Public Accountability (ASEPA) on Tuesday, October 19, 2021, filed a criminal complaint with the Ghana Police Service against Charles Nii Armah Mensah popularly known as Shatta Wale.

Speaking to Metro TV after filing the complaint at the Criminal Investigations Department, CID, of the Ghana Police Service, Thompson cited Section 208 of Criminal Code Act 29 which deals with publication of false news with the intent of causing fear and panic as the basis of their action.

He explained further that the action of Shatta Wale and his assigns could have severely breached the peace if his many young followers had launched reprisal attacks over the alleged ‘attack’ on their idol.

“This is premised on some false publication he caused to be published yesterday (i.e. on Monday, October 18) claiming that he had been attacked by unknown gunmen, which caused some chaotic scene in the country.

“That the level of distress, the level of fear and panic that was caused in the system by the publication of that news has been very very hectic for Ghanaians.

“And for all of it to turn out to be a stunt or a prank or some malicious ill-intent publication aimed at courting public attention in support of the artiste’s album which is said to be lauched very soon is extremely unacceptable,” he stressed.

The ASEPA petition read in part: “we write to officially lodge a complaint with the Criminal investigations Department of the Ghana Police Service against Mr. Charles Nii Armah AKA Shatta Wale (first respondent) and his agent one Nana Dope (his alias) also referred to as the second respondent for publishing or causing to be published a false news item that had the potential to cause fear and panic and also had the potential to breach public peace.”

It added “that on Monday 18. October 2021 by about 7 pm, news started making rounds on social media and major traditional media platforms that some unknown gunmen had allegedly shot and injured the first respondent leaving him in a critical condition. The news report further reported that the first respondent was receiving medical attention at an undisclosed hospital hem in Accra.”

ASEPA also called for the arrest of the musician and his aide, Nana Dhope, on whose WhatsApp status the initial report on the attack was posted.

Police on Tuesday evening confirmed the arrest of Shatta Wale and two other aides. The arrest of the aides - Owusu Koranteng, also known as Nana Dope and Eric Venator, alias Gangee came barely an hour before Shatta Wale turned himself in at a time he had been declared wanted.

Meanwhile, police say a warrant of arrest for another aide, Deportee, remains active.