Court adjourns Wisa’s case to January 25

The Accra Circuit Court yesterday adjourned the trial of hiplife artiste Eugene Ashe, well known as Wisa Greid, to January 25, 2016. The adjournment was to allow the prosecution to produce a witness to testify at the next hearing.

Though the accused, in the company of his wife, appeared in court, the prosecutor was unable to bring along any witness for the trial to commence.

Wisa of ‘Ekiki Me’ fame has been charged with gross indecent exposure to which he has pleaded not guilty.

He was granted bail in the sum of GH¢8,000, with a surety to be justified when he first appeared before the court, presided over by Mrs Abena Oppong Adjin-Doku, on December 30, 2015.

Arrest
The rapper was invited by the Greater Accra Regional Police Command on December 25, 2015 for exposing his genitals on stage while performing at last year’s ‘Decemba 2 Rememba’ concert organised by Accra-based Citi FM on Christmas Eve.

While wriggling his waist behind a female dancer midway through the performance, Wisa allegedly pulled down his white boxer shorts and let loose his penis in the full glare of the audience, who were dismayed at the act.

To save his image and career, the 27-year-old artiste went from one media house to another to render apology for his indecent conduct.

Denial of offence
On his first appearance, counsel for the accused, Mr Jerry Avenorgbo, told the court that his client was paid to perform in an enclosed arena, the Accra International Conference Centre (AICC).

He argued that the performance his client put up was for the “beauty of entertainment” and that those who chastised him did not appreciate what entertainment meant.

He said the private parts his client purportedly showed on stage were not his actual manhood.

“On the next adjourned date, my client will prove that he did not do what he has been accused of. If we open our defence, those who are accusing him will understand the beauty of entertainment art,” counsel argued.

Background
Prosecuting, Chief Inspector Judith Asante told the court that on December 25, 2015, the Greater Accra Regional Police Command’s attention was drawn to a nude video posted on the Internet from an unknown source.

She said in the video, Wisa removed his penis while performing live on stage at the AICC on December 24, 2015 while he was dancing with a female.

She said the police contacted his managers to produce him at the Accra Regional Police Headquarters for investigation and they duly obliged.

“Investigations into the case revealed that on December 24, 2015, Airtel Telecommunications Company and Citi FM organised a Christmas party at the Accra International Conference Centre (AICC), with Wisa as the guest artiste.

In the course of the programme, he was ushered to perform on the main stage, together with a female dancer.
Chief Inspector Asante said during his performance, Wisa stood behind the female dancer as they danced together and suddenly, he started to stroke the buttocks of the dancer with his manhood, in the full glare of the audience.