Kwaw Kese could face a minimum of 10 years’ imprisonment if found guilty

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.