Miss Commonwealth CEO granted bail in assault case
A Koforidua Circuit Court presided over by Madam Mercy Adai Kotei on Wednesday granted a GH¢30,000 bail with two sureties to the Chief Executive Officer of the Miss Commonwealth beauty pageant, Princess Duncan and one Isaac Evra for the roles they played in the assault of a former contestant of the pageant, Nana Ama Essien.
The two, according to the Deputy Eastern Regional Police Public Relations Officer, Sergeant Francis Gomado, have also been ordered to deposit their passports with the Registrar of the court.
A fetish priest, Yawo Sofahu alias Togbe Shito who allegedly performed some rituals leading to the assault of Nana Ama was also granted bail.
The next hearing of the case, Sgt Gomado said, had been set for November 20, 2019.
Princess Duncan, the organiser of Miss Commonwealth, and her accomplices are being tried on three counts of conspiracy to commit crime to wit trial by ordeal, trial by ordeal and assault.
Nana Ama Essien, according to Sgt Gomado was the third-runner-up of the beauty pageant held on September 7, 2019 in Accra.
He told the Graphic Showbiz that following allegations that she was behind a series of thefts that occurred during the contest including the loss of GH¢500 belonging to another contestant, the first accused (Princess) dragged her and eight others to a shrine owned by Sofahu for consultations.
The consultations, Sgt Gomado noted, led to some rituals being performed including the throwing of eggs to reveal the identity of the person who allegedly was behind the theft cases during the pageant.
Nana Ama’s egg, however turned out to be boiled, which Sofahu was said to have suggested made her the culprit.
She was thus made to kneel down and confess, amidst being assaulted with the back of a cutlass by two servants of Sofahu who are at large and are being sought for by the police.
The victim was said to have sustained injuries on her knees and her back and lodged a complaint at the Kaneshie District Police Command in Accra but was referred to the Eastern Regional Command, where she lodged the complaint on Friday October 11, leading to the arrest of the three persons.