HitzNation
It has emerged the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology paid female singer Mzbel GHc 50,000 for the attack on her by some students of the varsity during a 2005 performance.
The singer has for the primary time in 10 years revealed she received the sum as compensation, and also to stop her from pressing for damages at the law courts.
“It was GHc 50,000,” she told Stacy Amoateng on last weekend’s edition of the Restoration With Stacy personality chat show . Real name Belinda Nana Akua Amoah, she was molested by a gaggle of scholars of the university who had involved her to continue performing when she was through with her booked, stage time.
“When my crew and that i were leaving the auditorium, a number of the scholars came up to me, saying they wanted to require pictures with me. While we were at it, others came out of thin air to shake my hands,” she narrated (in January 2006) the scenes that led to her October, 2005 ordeal.
“Unfortunately, that exit was sort of a big window through which I had to leap . Just once I was close to jump, someone grabbed hold of my legs and within a twinkle of an eye fixed , there have been an entire mob of scholars pulling my legs.”
Her trousers and underpant were pulled down within the process. The mob took advantage of her nakedness and began fingering her.“They revealed everything by pulling my pants and trousers right down to my knee”.
She subsequently sued the university, claiming damages to the tune of ¢600 million (now GHc 60, 000).
Filed at an Accra supreme court on Wednesday January 18, 2006, and led by her then manager and now ex convict Isaac Abeidu Aidoo, a.k.a ‘Goodies’, it had KNUST as first defendant: The administrator as second defendants, and therefore the college of Art as third defendant.
The fourth, fifth and sixth defendants were Alex Dapaah, Aaron Edusah Poku and Theodore Djokoto all students of the university at the time.
In a statement of claim, the plaintiffs said “that by a performance contract entered with them and a call for participation by the 2nd defendant to perform and to enable them celebrate their Art Society week to be climaxed by a live performance , the first plaintiff, Mzbel amongst other musical artistes and performers were scheduled and invited to perform on the night of October 1, 2005 at the KNUST campus, Kumasi.
“The plaintiffs shall contend that the arrangement, safety and security of the venue which of artistes before during and after the live performance, devolved absolutely on the first and 2nd defendants. By this invitation and performance contract executed, any failures or omissions on their part shall end in a vicarious liability to them.”
“The plaintiffs say that while the first plaintiff was performing survive stage reserved for the artistes, with none invitation, provocation and permission, variety of male students invaded the stage and in their frenzy with none provocation violently assaulted the first plaintiff which assault can best be described as sexual by all imagination.”
The statement of claim further said Dapaah, Poku and Djokoto inserted their fingers into her private part, and also indiscriminately fondled her breast. She sustained bruises on her face and body, causing her excruciating pains, the statement added.
The claim also involved sanctions to be imposed on Alex Dapaah, Aaron Edusah Poku and Theodore Djokoto, and payment of fees to Mzbel and Goodies Productions’ lawyers.
A report by a student fact-finding committee later sought to punch holes in her claims. Among other things they suggested Mzbel and her three dancers made lewd gestures which will have inspired the students’ bad behaviour.
She shot down the suggestions.
“It had nothing to try to to with the way i used to be dressed. Even thereon night once I performed, i used to be not wearing any extraordinary clothes. i used to be during a pair of trousers and a jacket.”
