VGMA clashes: Shatta Wale, Stonebwoy granted bail

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Dancehall artiste Shatta Wale and his rival Stonebwoy have been granted bail after spending a night in custody following clashes on the stage of the Vodafone Ghana Music Awards Sunday.

The police have cautioned Shatta Wale for offensive conduct while Stonebwoy has been cautioned for displaying an offensive weapon.

One other person is also in custody for spraying pepper spray during the fracas at the auditorium.

“Preliminary investigation, however, reveals that the disturbance occurred after Livingston Etse Satekla [Stonebwoy] was declared winner of the Reggae Dancehall Artiste of the year and had mounted the stage to receive his award. Charles Nii Armah Mensah [Shatta Wale] also moved on state uninvited, provoking a scuffle between them and their patrons.

“The two, together with one other suspect, Nii Amoo, who was seen discharging pepper spray in the auditorium… have been granted bail to be arraigned before court in due time,” DSP Effia Tenge, head of public affairs of the Greater Accra regional police command said in a statement.

The two popular Ghanaian musicians, Stonebwoy and Shatta Wale have been in police detention for the incident that marred the 20th edition of the Vodafone Ghana Music Awards. 

The Police are investigating the immediate cause of the near-violent clash that ensued between their fans at the event.

The two are at the Greater Accra Regional Police Command assisting in investigations.

Background

Chaos erupted at the 20th edition of the Vodafone Ghana Music Awards when Shatta Wale and his squad attacked his arch-rival Stonebwoy on stage when the latter was announced as the ‘Reggae/Dancehall Artiste of the Year’.

It was a free-for-all fight on the big stage as the two sides clashed forcing Stonebwoy to pull a pistol.

There was total pandemonium at the event as security struggled to restore order forcing the show to halt for over half an hour.

This is the fifth consecutive time Stonebwoy is beating Shatta Wale to the award.

Top celebrities were spotted outside the Accra International Conference Center, where the event was held as they ‘flee’ for safety.

Apology

Stonebwoy has since apologised to Ghanaians for pulling a gun on stage during the melee.

“I am really sorry for the incident that happened earlier on and I only had to react out of natural instincts because we all know how premeditative some people can be,” Stonebwoy apologised later when he picked the diadem for best collaboration.

He added: “We’ve seen on social media the threats and everything so we couldn’t come in unprepared because anything could have happened like you guys saw.”

“I come in peace and I go in peace and I apologise to the whole masses of Ghana that the Awards is going to continue. Thank you very much for supporting my music, for supporting everybody else’s music…by their deeds we have all seen,” the Kpoo k3k3 hitmaker added.

Source: Daily Mail GH