Self-styled “no-nonsense” radio host, Blessed Godsbrains Smart, popularly known as Captain Smart and Eric Daniels Dadzie Copperfield, also known as Ghana Boy, have been charged with two counts of extortion and one count of abetment.
This follows a complaint filed by a Tema based businessman, Ahmed Kwabena Nkrumah.
The charges are contrary to (Extortion) section 151(1) of the Criminal and Other Offences Act, 1960 (ACT 29) and (Abetment) section 20(1) of the Criminal and Other Offences Act, 1960 (ACT 29).
According to the charge sheet filed by the police, the complainant, Ahmed Kwabena Nkrumah, says Captain Smart and Eric Daniels Dadzie Copperfield by means of threat, extorted US$10,000.00 and GHC50,000.00 from him.
In court
When the case was called in court, the charges of the accused persons were read to them to which they pleaded not guilty.
Detective Inspector Fred Sarpong, on behalf of the State, read the facts of the case in open court.
Bail application
Martin Kpebu, the lawyer for the accused persons, applied for self-recognisance bail for his clients.
He argued that the said amount given to Captain Smart by the complainant was a gift and they will prove same during the trial.
He added that Smart is an anti-corruption campaigner. The charges preferred against him are because of his fight against corruption and he will prove same during the trial.
Bail opposed
Detective Inspector Fred Sarpong opposed the bail application. His grounds were that the accused persons jumped police inquiry bail given them when they were first arrested on 12 January 2022, as they decided not to comply with the 13 January 2022 bail conditions given to them.
He argued that A1 and A2 are highly likely to interfere with police investigations.
He urged the court to remand the accused persons into police custody pending the completion of their investigations into the matter.
By court
Circuit Judge, K.K. Obiri-Yeboah, in his ruling, disregarded the argument of the prosecution and granted the accused persons bail in the sum of GHC 50,000.00 with two sureties who must be related to the accused persons.
“Case is adjourned to the 3 March 2022”, Judge, K.K Obiri-Yeboah ruled.
Facts of the case
The facts according to the charge sheet filed by the police are that “the complainant, in this case, is a businessman based in Tema while A1 and A2 are broadcast journalists working at Onua TV and 3 FM, a radio station in Accra”.
“During the month of December 2021, A1 who claimed to have obtained fishy information about the complainant’s dealings at Tema Port during his morning show programme airings mentioned the complainant’s name and threatened to expose and disgrace him.
The first accused through a witness in the case invited the complainant to meet with him.
On 23 December 2021, the first accused hosted the complainant and a witness in the case at his office.
A1 during the meeting with the complainant and the witness demanded an amount of GHc100,000.00 from the complainant under the guise of greasing the palms of his supposed “elders” and ending the airings of the alleged fishy deals of the complainant and his people at Tema port.
The complainant who is to be enstooled as a chief in one of the communities in the Ashanti Region and dreaded such shameful exposė yielded to the demands of A1.
On same day, the complainant gave an amount of US$10,000.00 to A1.
A1 upon counting the said dollars informed the complainant that the amount was not enough to cater for his supposed elders and further demanded additional monies.
On 11 January 2022, A1 placed separate phone calls to both the complainant and the witness in the case to demand the remaining amount or risk being exposed and disgraced.
On 12 January 2022, the complainant and the witness proceeded to the premises of Onua TV to deliver the demanded money to A1 who was in the company of A2.
A1 instructed A2 to receive the booty on his behalf since he was on the phone. A2 did as instructed and place the booty in the right pocket of his trouser. Personnel of the National Signals Bureau who had earlier picked intelligence rushed to the scene and apprehended A2 and search conducted on him revealed a white envelope containing an amount of GHC50,000.00 in GHC200.00 denominations.
Upon interrogation, A2 stated that it was A1 who instructed him to collect the said money from the complainant.
A1 was later arrested. During the investigation, A1 and A2 were granted police enquiry bail to be reporting periodically.
However, both A1 and A2 jumped bail. As such, accused summons were secured and served on A1 and A2 to appear before the court.
Wilberforce Asare
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