Daasebre,
innocent or guilty?
Georgette Djaba
Daasebre Owuado
Gyamenah, born 25
December 1972, on
Tuesday 8th May 2007
begun the quest for
the second time to
prove his innocence.
The Prosecution
opened the case in
Court no. 4 at the
Isleworth Crown
Court, Ridgeway,
Middlesex. Nearest
station, Hounslow
East,
with its first
witness,
Patrick Donkor,
who had very little
to say during
examination-in-chief
about the character
of our superstar,
Daasebre Gyamenah.
The trial was poorly
attended by the
Ghanaian community
in London. There was
the elegant relative
with her husband, an
Englishman who it is
expected has agreed
to testify on
Daasebre’s behalf.
There is also his
manager, Fred
Nuamah, who
as at 4pm had been
refused a visa from
the British High
Commission to enable
him to travel to the
UK. One wondered why
he had left it so
late to arrive in
the UK. After
frantic discussions,
it emerged that the
court had faxed a
letter to the
British High
Commission. It is
envisaged that Fred
will be arriving in
the UK sometime on
Wednesday to assist
the Defence with its
case as in the first
trial.
I
arrived at the court
around, just as the
first day’s
proceedings were
drawing to a close.
Bishop T aka Titus
Evans, a DJ of Voice
of Africa Radio, and
a die-hard fan,
together with Osofo
Watchman or Pastor
Jones Lartey, a
Seventh Day
Adventist Preacher
and School teacher
were present as a
matter of public
interest.
My
main
concern was the
flaws in the first
trial, and whether
those could be
addressed. In an
emotional and frank
discussion with
Daasebre’s legal
team, comprising of
2 ladies – from Ally
Lindsay Solicitors
and Joe Stone, the
Barrister from
Doughty Street
Chambers,
I
stressed the need
for Daasebre to look
good and suggested
that they quickly
provide him with
pins stripped suit,
clean shirt and good
tie,
items which
I
kindly provided,
courtesy of
my son,
Michael who is also
a budding and
talented R and B and
Hip Hop and Urban
musician aged 27
years today in the
UK.
In a frank
discussion
with Daasebre's
legal team,
I
sought to portray
Daasebre as a victim
of circumstances.
I
told the
astonished legal
team
that as far
as I am concerned,
if his finger prints
were not on the bag
that contained the
illegal substance,
then he should have
been acquitted.
“ If you compare
this case to Johnnie
Cochrane’s famous
rhetoric “If the
glove does not fit,
you must acquit”.
Daasebre should have
been acquitted.
I
also said to them
that I was
extremely concerned
about the all-white
jury at the previous
trial and Joe Stone
quickly re-assured
me that jury
selection was
random, however they
had managed to find
one black person, to
which
I
replied, “Just as
well”.
I told the legal
the team that
I
knows
the Gyamenah
family through one,
Mr Kwame Boamah, a
former shipping
agent and
businessman, also
from Koforidua in
the Easter Region
and that I
she had followed the
Gyamenah case since
June 2007 when Nana
Sifa Twum reported
it on
www.ghanaweb.com.
Nana Sifa Twum,
I learned from a
phone inquiry,
was indisposed and
therefore unable to
attend the opening
of the case.
I
was then given the
task of putting
forward
a
profile, together
with 3 other
potential character
witnesses, who knew
Daasebre before the
arrest to testify to
the lyrics of his
music and his
anti-drug lifestyle,
etc.
I
promised,
given the short
period to assist,
to do my best.
By this time I was
feeling
strongly about
Daasebre’s
innocence.
I
informed all that I
was surprised
about the advice
that Daasebre had
received so far as
he hadrefused bail
and also refused to
see anyone from the
Ghanaian community
in the UK with the
exception of one
relative and her
husband who had been
visiting him
regularly since the
last trial.
The hearing ended
around 4:30pm. The
Defence is expected
to open its case
shortly and the
whole of the
Ghanaian community
will be advised to
show their support
and their love for
our superstar, our
darling, Daasebre
Gyamenah.
Joe Stone,
Daasebre's lawyer,
said he was
surprised about the
turnout and hoped
that justice would
be seen to be done.
I
promised to
use the local radio
and media to
galvanise support
and bring together a
lot of the fans,
etc. drawing
parallels with the
Michael Jackson
case.
I
left hoping
for a real miracle.
In
my humble
opinion, Ally
Lindsay has held on
to this case and has
informed the
Ghanaian journalists
in the past that
Daasebre does not
need a Ghanaian
lawyer, if anything
it would be
“dangerous”. He has
also cited the case
of a previous client
who was injured in
prison in a similar
case. Such stories
had probably scared
Gyamenah.
I
had written to him
twice at HMP
Wormwood Scrubs, had
made attempts to
visit him and had
even sent a Pastor,
Bishop Frimpong
Manson and others to
try and reach him
and pray for him.
I
had begged the
welfare officer, Mr
Quansah of the Ghana
High Commission to
visit him and see
whether his needs
were being met. All
these attempts had
proved futile.
I
wondered whether the
previous all-white
jury who were
undecided had been
properly directed.
Ms Djaba was
concerned that the
British Taxpayer was
having to pay
thousands of pounds
for a re-trial that
was totally
unnecessary, given
the evidence
provided. The
overwhelming amount
of evidence pointed
towards Daasebre’s
innocence. The only
flaw was Patrick
Donkor denying
Daasebre, when he is
known to have
produced Daasebre’s
music and profited
from it. Pretending
he did not know him
well, will in the
long run affect his
business as he runs
a shop, Kumasi
Market in Peckham
and is known to have
a previous record
(having conducted a
Google search on
him).
The issue of
credibility is a
factor as Donkor’s
evidence
contradicted
Gyamenah’s. In order
not to prejudice the
case,
I
will be reporting
after the Defence
Case and iit
will be
available for live
radio reports this
morning before 0900
am British
Summer Time or 0800
GMT or a lunch time
(1300 to 1400).
I
am hoping
that at least 3
people of calibre
present in the UK
will come forward by
1000am. The Ghanaian
community are
particularly scared
about being tainted
in this case. They
should not have any
cause for concern as
Daasebre is
innocent. He has
been incarcerated
since June 2006 at
HMP Wormwood Scrubs,
DuCane Road, London
W12.
Please say a little
prayer for Daasebre.
Daasebre's song
“Still
in love” on
Daasebre’s album I
Beg,
is the them song for
my run as a
presidential
candidate
for election 2008 in
Ghana.
I
have my
talcum powder ready
for when
Daasebre is
acquitted. It is
envisaged that the
case will end by
Friday 11 May 2007..
Any queries should
be directed to
g.djaba@btinternet.com
Georgette Djaba
Georgette Djaba , BA
Hons, LL.B Hons,
LL.M (London), Phil
Student.
Solicitor of the
Supreme Court of
England & Wales
Reporting from
Isleworth Crown
Court
May 09, 2007
Tel: 0207 278 0449
Or 07840 291 616
