Private legal practitioner, Maurice Ampaw, has advised clergy members to be cautious with their utterances because their activities are governed by laws.

He said the right of prophets in making prophecies is tied to other people's rights; hence, they should refrain from causing fear in individuals through their pronouncements.

His comments follow the arrest of reggae/dancehall artiste Shatta Wale, who claimed that he had been shot by unknown assailants on Monday evening.

https://youtu.be/HzERBlMJSjw

Several reports said the ‘Melisa’ hitmaker had to be rushed to an unnamed hospital’s emergency room due to the severity of his injuries.

Mr Ampaw, in an interview on Day Break Hitz on HItz FM, said the police, in handling the matter, should target the prophet who is believed to have prophesied that the singer would be shot on the eve of October 18.

He stated that it will be tough to prosecute Shatta Wale until any concrete evidence has been presented to a court to level strong charges against the singer.

"I can tell you from my practice almost 20 years at the bar that Shatta Wale’s prosecution will be difficult; so, I’m advising the police to rather focus on the prophet who’s the cause of all these."

"I thank the police for arresting the pastor, and I’m praying that the pastor’s prosecution should be so strong [so that] we send a signal to all men of God in this country that their right to prophecy has a limitation," he told Andy Dosty on Wednesday.

Mr Ampaw noted that Shatta Wale and the prophet, Stephen Akwasi, popularly known as Jesus ‘Ahuofe’, might face similar charges in court over their acts.

Lawyer Maurice Ampaw on how Shatta Wale can strongly defend himself against the law. #DaybreakHitz pic.twitter.com/2RkCNzbWn4

— Hitz 103.9 FM (@Hitz1039FM) October 20, 2021

He, however, stressed that one can commit a crime to expose another crime; thus, Shatta Wale can make better arguments in court to justify his fiasco.

"If found guilty, Shatta Wale would be charged for spreading fake news, causing fear and panic. The prophet would face charges of fear and panic, a form of blackmail, and spreading fake news."

Background

Shatta Wale, born Charles Nii Armah Mensah, embarked on what has now been confirmed as a prank on Monday claiming he has been shot by unidentified assailants.

He took to Facebook in the early hours of Tuesday to state that his life had been threatened, thus, until security agencies in the country step up to address such threats, his whereabouts will remain unknown.

Police subsequently arrested two suspects for allegedly spreading fake news about Shatta's alleged gunshots attack.

The pastor whose prophecy the musician has cited as the reason for his latest fiasco was picked up by men believed to be officers of the Ghana Police Service.

Shatta Wale was arrested by officers of the Ghana Police Service when he turned himself in after the Police declared him wanted.

While some social media users trolled the singer over this arrest, others called on Ghana Police to free him.