Intermittent power outages disrupted hearing at the Kumasi High Court in the case in which Akosua Serwaa Fosuh is seeking relief as the legal wife of the late popular highlife musician Charles Kwadwo Fosuh, known in showbiz as Daddy Lumba.
Proceedings were disrupted twice as counsel for Serwaa Fosuh cross-examined the head of the Ekuona family at Parkoso, who also doubles as the first defendant in the case.
Akosua Serwaa Fosuh is petitioning the High Court to declare her the only surviving legal wife of the late musician and entitled to perform widowhood rites, and an order to restrain Priscila Ofori, also known as Odo Broni, who has six children with the late Daddy Lumba, from presenting herself as the wife of the late musician.
But Friday’s hearing was marred by the intermittent power outages as proceedings were halted twice within an interval of 20 minutes.
The first light out hit the court at 14:49 p.m. as William Kusi, counsel for Serwaa Fosuh cross-examined Abusuapanin Kofi Owusu, head of Daddy Lumba’s extended family at Parkoso in Kumasi.
The development compelled the trial judge, Justice Dorinda Smith-Arthur, to exclaim, “My goodness! Did you save it?” Her worry stems from the fact that court records were at stake. Computers used to record court proceedings had gone off while court recorders were busily typing proceedings in court.
After more than 15 minutes of waiting with no sign of power being restored, the presiding judge was compelled to adjourn the hearing.
Abusuapanin Kofi Owusu’s mouth was consequently sealed for the hearing to be adjourned to Monday, November 24.
Three minutes after proceedings had ended, and the trial judge had retired into her chambers, power was restored, at 15: 08.
Just as Justice Dorinda Smith-Arthur returned to the courtroom for proceedings to resume, power went out again at 15:10, much to the discomfort of judicial service staff, journalists covering proceedings, plaintiff, lawyers as well as witnesses and relatives of Daddy Lumba.
More soon….
