Wisa Bailout SAGA: Halifax Ansah-Addo Clarifies GHC10,000 Bail Amount – READ HIS FULL STATEMENT

Ghanaian Journalist Halifax Ansah-Addo, has responded to issues surrounding his involvement in settling an GHC8,400 fine that singer Eugene Ashie (Wisa  Greid) was slapped with yesterday, by an Accra Circuit Court.

The fine was issued to Mr. Ashie after he was found guilty of gross indecency following a performance at the Accra International Conference Centre on December 24, 2015, during Citi FM’s ‘Decemba 2 Rememba’ concert.

Presided over by Mrs. Abena Oppong Adjin-Doku, the court established that the singer had indeed, exposed his manhood during the performance which was held at the Accra International Conference Center, a public place.

Moments after the judgement, the ace journalist and critic was widely reported to have footed the bill, giving out an amount of  GHC 10,000 as a “pure act of charity” in his name.

Wisa’s record label, the D- Black – led Black Avenue Muzick imprint, have since come out to flatly deny the gesture, an act which, according to Ansah-Addo, has necessitated his coming out to clarify a number of things.

According to the judgement, Wisa admitted to displaying his penis on stage in his initial statement to the police but submitted that the supposed manhood was a dildo during the trial.

The court found him guilty of gross indecency during the 2015 performance, ruling that the Accra International Conference Centre constituted a public place.

Read Halifax Ansah-Addo’s  full statement below:

I am compelled to bring some clarity to a running news story which purports that I have falsely claimed I provided funding for the bail of hiplife musician Wisa Greid.

Below are the verifiable facts that can be proven beyond doubt:

• By mid-morning on Monday, April 30, I had information that the artiste in question had been fined an amount of GHC8,400 or would be jailed for two years if the amount is not paid.

•     I was made to believe the artist was struggling to raise the amount and was still on the court. I immediately contacted a few journalist friends who were in the court with him to tell him I can be of help and he should, therefore, call me if he needed my help in raising the amount.

•     The artiste called and confirmed he needed the bailout and we both agreed he should send someone to meet me for it.

•     As agreed, the artiste sent a representative who met with me and I gave the representative an amount of GHC 10,000 as a pure act of charity in my own name for someone I consider a friend and brother.

•     I informed the musician I have given out the said amount to be brought to him for the bailout and he expressed gratitude.

•     The development became a subject of news and subsequently, the artiste’s management were on Neat FM to deny the act of charity. That denial was also on the management’s social media pages.

•     The musician himself, surprisingly, was also quoted to have denied the act of charity and said that the bail amount was paid by his managers.

•     I would have put the amount into other uses if the musician had given me the slightest hint that he had no challenges raising the amount.

•     At no point in time have I said anywhere or insinuated that the amount was from my employers or a third party.

•  It is my hope these verifiable facts would bring some clarity to the needless logomachy.

Signed.

Halifax Ansah-Addo.