Akuapem Poloo to plead guilty on April 14 – Lawyer tells court

Actress, Rosemond Brown popularly known as Akuapem Poloo will on April 14, 2021, change her plea from not guilty to guilty, her lawyer Andrew Kudzo Vortia informs the court.

Akuapem Polo who has been charged with the publication of nude pictures with her seven-year-old son pleaded not guilty when she was first arraigned.

But appearing before the Circuit Court in Accra presided over by Her Honour Mrs Christiana Cann for Case Management Conference (CMC), her lawyer said the accused wants to change her plea.

“My Lord, we will change our plea for a fine and a non-custodial sentence,” lawyer Vortia tells the court.

According to counsel, the minimum penalty unit of 500 (GHc6000) is hefty enough and the court should accept it.

CMC

The purpose of the CMC is to identify the essential issues in the litigation and to avoid unnecessary, burdensome or duplicative discovery and other pretrial procedures in the course of preparing for trial of those issues.

Prior to her lawyer’s indication of changing her plea, prosecution has told the court under CMC that, it will call two witnesses in the case.

Pictures of the incidents were all made available to the court.

On her part, the accused person through her lawyer said, she will not call any witness should she not change her plea.

Contract in Nigeria

When the court proposed to adjourn the case to April 12, the accused person through her lawyer said it was not convenient to them.

The accused person said she’s sealed a contract in Nigeria for a 10-week reality show but could not immediately produce the signed copy to the court.

Though she was able to show a soft copy of her ticket to the court through her phone, the court said it was not convinced.

The accused said she will produce the signed copy to the court by the close of day.

After listening to the parties, the court adjourned the case to April 14 to hear evidence of the two witnesses the prosecution indicated it will call, if the accused doesn’t change her plea as indicated by her lawyer.

EIB’s Court Correspondent Murtala Inusah, reports that the court said if the accused do not waste the time of the court, she would be considered.

Charges

The outspoken actress is facing three charges of publication of obscene materials, engaging in domestic violence, conduct that in any way undermines another person’s privacy or integrity and engaging in domestic violence namely conduct that in any way detracts or is likely to detract from another person’s dignity and worth as a human being.

Rosemond who had displayed her naked picture with her son on social media on June 30, 2020 pleaded not guilty to all the charges.

GHc100k bail

The Circuit Court however admitted her to bail in the sum of GHc100,000 with four sureties.

Two of the sureties are to be justified with landed property worth same amount.

In addition to the bail conditions, the court said the title deed of the property, should be deposited at the court’s Registry pending the final determination of the matter.

This was after her then lawyer Philip Kofi Bekoe had prayed the court to admit her to bail on grounds she is a well-known person. He said his client has people of substance who would stand as sureties when granted bail.

The prosecution did not opposed to the bail application.

Brief facts

Brief facts of the case presented to the court by the prosecution led by Chief Inspector Agartha Asantewaa were that the complainant is Bright K. Appiah, the Director of Child Rights International Ghana.

According to the prosecution, on June 30, 2020, the accused person celebrated her son’s seventh birthday and she took her nude pictures together with her son who was also half-naked and posted same on her Instagram page which went viral on social media.

She told the court that, the pictures attracted comments, adding that the behaviour of the accused person was likely to detract from the dignity of her seven-year-old son among others.

Chief Inspt. Asantewaa told the court that the complainant petitioned the Director-General Criminal Investigations Directorate and the matter was referred to the Domestic Violence and Victims Support Unit.

Akuapem Poloo, she said was arrested and in her caution statement, admitted posting the nude picture with her son unintentionally.

But, prosecution held that Rosemond had deliberately posted the nude picture together with her son.