Ghanaian rapper, Medikal, has been convicted by an Accra Circuit Court.
This follows the rapper pleading guilty to the charge of unlawful public display of arms. The court presided by His Lordship Emmanuel Essandoh, after the guilty plea, sentenced Medikal to 300 penalty units. This amounts to ¢3,600. However, if the rapper fails to pay the fine, he will serve nine months in jail.
According to reports, the prosecution attempted to oppose Medikal’s guilty plea, explaining to the court that they did not know the rapper would change his “not guilty plea”. However, the judge, who opposed the police’s stance, noted that the prosecution did not need to be informed.
Medikal Initially Pleaded Not Guilty
It can be recalled that the police arrested the musician for brandishing a gun in a video posted on social media in September 2021. He was later charged for unlawful display of arms and ammunition.
Medikal initially pleaded not guilty to the charge when he made his first appearance in court, but the court refused him bail.
The ‘Omo Ada’ rapper was remanded into police custody for five days. When he reappeared before the court on October 26, 2021, the presiding judge then granted him a ¢100,000 bail. The case was then adjourned to January 25, 2022.
On his appearance in court after that, the Defense Counsel for Medikal prayed the Circuit Court to release the Musician’s Ruger 9mm pistol confiscated by the Police after it was displayed on social media.
Madam Alice Nimako Debrah-Ablormeti, who held the brief of Bobby Benson, made the prayer when the accused person appeared before the Court for displaying the pistol on social media.
The Court presided over by Mr. Emmanuel Essandoh, ordered the counsel to make the application formal. Madam Debrah-Ablormeti also informed the Court that the prosecution had not served the client with the necessary processes.
The prosecution pleaded for extension to file the processes, witness statement, and disclosures.
Defense, Prosecution Lock Horns Over Medikal’s Gun
The Ruger nine-millimeter pistol belonging to Medikal, at the last court proceedings, was the subject of a tussle between the musician’s lawyer and the prosecution at the Circuit Court.
The counsel, Mr. Bobby Benson, argued that the said gun was lawfully acquired by Medikal and as such must be released for Medikal’s protection and use.
Mr. Benson noted that the charge against his client was not an unlawful possession of the pistol, stressing that the prosecution had not demonstrated that it would rely on the pistol for the trial.
“The evidence before the court is the display of the gun and not the gun itself. If the prosecution seeks to rely on a picture of the gun and a video footage of Medikal using the gun, they can do so without necessarily bringing the gun to court.
“The accused has a young family, and if tomorrow they are attacked and do not have any way of protecting themselves, what excuse will the prosecutor give this court?”.
Mr. Benson
The continuous detention of the pistol, he said, was in breach of the musician’s right to own the gun.
An Assistant State Attorney, Mr. Samuel Adu-Gyamfi, opposed the application and premised his argument on the grounds that the gun in question was a subject matter of the offense, and that the gun was of evidential essence in a trial pending before the court.
“Among the things disclosed to the defense is the gun in question”.
Mr. Samuel Adu-Gyamfi
It was the submission of the prosecution that Medikal had not demonstrated to the court why the gun should be released to him when he was standing trial for a criminal offense that involved the gun.
“How do we release this evidence if it will amount to interfering with the trial?”.
Mr. Samuel Adu-Gyamfi
The presiding judge, Mr. Emmanuel Esaandoh, then adjourned the matter to Monday, February 21, 2022, for ruling.
