The Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA) Circuit Court has remanded
Hiplife artiste, Emmanuel Botchway, popularly known as Kwaw Kese, into
prison custody for allegedly smoking cannabis in public. Kwaw Kese was
arrested Saturday at a wine shop close to Plus Two pub at Nhyiaseo, a
suburb of Kumasi. He was denied bail upon arrest, and was remanded in
police custody until he appeared in court on Monday. However, the court,
presided over by Judge William Boampong remanded him to reappear on
December 8 after persecutors argued that they were still investigating
the matter. The self-styled King of the Streets was put before court and
formally charged with using narcotic drug without lawful authority A
somber-looking Kwaw Kese was escorted into a police van and sent to the
Kumasi Central Prison which will serve as his new home for two weeks
until he returns to court
According to ASP Charles Appiah, Head of Drug Law Enforcement Unit, a
police patrol team saw Kwaw smoking the cannabis on Saturday and
arrested him. Kwaw Kese’s lawyer, Kwasi Baoitey, argued that the
substance had not been confirmed to be cannabis and there was no
justification to continue holding him. He told the court that cigarettes
can be mistaken for cannabis and until the substance was confirmed by a
laboratory, the musician ought to be presumed to be innocent and
therefore granted bail. ASP Appiah however says “We all know cannabis
and he will not deny, he hasn’t denied,” the policeman said. Kwaw’s
lawyer further argued that there was no justification to continue to
detain him because he cannot interfere with any police investigations.
ASP Mohammed Tanko, Ashanti Regional Police PRO speaking on Dwaso Nsem
on Adom FM earlier, said Kwaw Kese could face a minimum of 10 years’
imprisonment if found guilty.
