Age of 'Odo broni' sparks tense exchanges in Daddy Lumba marriage dispute case

The age of Priscilla Ofori, the second defendant in the ongoing spousal dispute involving the late highlife legend Charles Kwadwo Fosu, popularly known as Daddy Lumba, became a major point of contention at Tuesday’s sitting of a Kumasi High Court.

Counsel for the plaintiff, Akosua Serwaa Fosuh, suggested during cross-examination that Priscilla Ofori, also known as Odo Broni, entered into a relationship with the late musician in 2006 when she was only 14 years old.

The suggestion was put to James Beniako Boateng, the principal witness for the second defendant. Mr Boateng, a tax administrator, is married to a sister of Odo Broni. He hails from Apaa near Jamasi in the Ashanti Region and currently resides at Tabora in Accra.

He told the court that Daddy Lumba first met Priscilla Ofori in 2006 when she was a final-year student at Ashley College, a second-cycle institution. However, he stated that he could not confirm whether the two were romantically involved at that time.

According to him, the pair dated for four years before contracting marriage on April 10, 2010.

The witness further told the court that although Odo Broni later enrolled at Kings Health College to train as a nurse, the late musician asked her to stop schooling. When asked to specify the year she dropped out, he said he could not recall.

During cross-examination, counsel for the plaintiff, William Kusi, asserted that Daddy Lumba and Priscilla Ofori were in a concubinage relationship in 2006 while she was still in school. The witness, however, maintained that he could not confirm whether they were in a relationship at that time.

Counsel for the second defendant, Kwasi Mensah Nyarko, raised an objection to the line of questioning on the basis that it had no relevance to the issue of whether the two were later married. However, Mr Kusi insisted that his legal team was pursuing a “mathematical calculation” relevant to their case.

The court ruled that the witness could choose whether to answer the question. The witness declined.

When counsel for the plaintiff directly suggested to the witness that Priscilla Ofori was 14 years old in 2006, the witness rejected the claim.

Mr Kusi further suggested that Priscilla Ofori’s family accepted the relationship because they felt privileged to have a music icon join their family. The witness strongly disagreed. He also rejected the suggestion that Daddy Lumba relocated permanently to Ghana in 2013.

When asked when exactly the late musician returned to Ghana, the witness said he could not tell. He also denied knowledge of claims that the plaintiff, Akosua Serwaa Fosuh, visited Daddy Lumba several times after his relocation.

On Akan customary marriage practices, the witness told the court that such ceremonies are normally held at the woman’s family house. However, in the case of Daddy Lumba and Priscilla Ofori, he said the ceremony took place at the musician’s Tanta Hills residence in Accra.

He explained that during the marriage ceremony, the linguist representing Priscilla Ofori’s family asked about the status of Daddy Lumba’s earlier marriage to Akosua Serwaa Fosuh. According to the witness, the late musician informed the family that the marriage had been dissolved.

The witness further maintained that no video recording, photographs, or media coverage was allowed at the ceremony. He said Daddy Lumba’s family was led by the late Abusuapanin Kwame Owusu, whom he identified as a man with a limp. He also said Dr. E.T. Akonnor represented himself as a brother of Daddy Lumba at the ceremony.

However, counsel for the plaintiff disputed the witness’s account and insisted that what took place at the Tanta Hills residence in 2010 was a naming ceremony and not a marriage ceremony.

In response, the witness stated that it was indeed a marriage ceremony, arguing that Priscilla Ofori only gave birth to her first child 18 months later, in 2011. Under intense questioning, he later admitted that the first child was born in December 2011.

Mr Kusi challenged the witness’s calculation, pointing out that April 2010 to December 2011 does not amount to 18 months. The witness conceded that this could be true.

Counsel for the plaintiff then put it to the witness that the date of the alleged marriage had been deliberately calculated to make Priscilla Ofori appear to have been 18 years old at the time.

The witness rejected the claim, stating that he never mentioned Priscilla Ofori’s date of birth.

The court is scheduled to rule on the matter on Friday.