Ghanaian Artistes Arrested for 'Hugging'

Harare, Zimbabwe -- ERNESTINA Cobblah, a dancer with Ghanaian musician Rex Omar and a male band member, Jacob Vanderpuye, came face to face with the heavy-handedness of the Zimbabwe Republic Police after the two were briefly detained for public indecency, Standardplus can reveal.

Rex Omar performed at the just-ended Harare International Festival of the Arts, leaving fans yearning for more.

The two bore testimony to the overzealous attitude of the ZRP when they spent "about two hours" in police custody for hugging too tightly in public.

According to a source, the police judged a "hug" between the two to have been a "little off the mark".

The source said: "The two really got a little wild, clearly resembling an amorous couple in the bedroom."

When Standardplus visited the police post, which was situated at the Harare Gardens -- the main venue of the festival performances -- to find out what had transpired, the policeman referred questions to his seniors.

ZRP spokesperson Wayne Bvudzijena refused to speak to Standardplus. However, Cobblah has a different account of what happened on the day.

"It was a simple hug," Cobblah explained. "I was surprised when two cops took us in. It was horrible because they sat us on the floor and poked us with their fingers.

"I think the heavy make-up I was putting on was catastrophic in that it sent the wrong signal as to who I was."

She said it took them two hours to convince the "livid police officers" that they did not do anything to warrant such treatment.

Cobblah said: "Having sex in public is an offence anywhere in the world but hugging tightly or otherwise is surely not breaking any law. In Ghana where I come from, this kind of police brutality is unheard of.

"At the end of the day they did not even charge us or make us pay a fine and when they finally learnt we were artistes, they suddenly became friendly."

The Embassy of France, in association with Lion Lager, sponsored the highly acclaimed Omar's tour.

Born in Kumasi, capital of the Ashantis of Ghana, Omar has gained wide recognition in West Africa and beyond.