Former Miss Malaika Free From Car Theft Charges
A court in Accra yesterday Thursday ruled that Miss Malaika 2006, Hamamat Montia, did not steal a Toyota Highlander 4WD she had been accused of stealing and consequently taken to court over.
The judged ruled that prosecution had failed to prove that indeed the beauty queen committed the crime and therefore acquitted and discharged her.
Ms Montia had always insisted she was not guilty after she was accused by her ex-boyfriend Versa Keskinen of stealing the vehicle worth $35,000, which he claimed he bought for her.
She was arraigned before the court on April 22 last year but the court has concluded that the witnesses presented by the prosecution were not credible and added that there were “so many material inconsistencies.”
What actually happened as explained in the trial was that Versa Keskinen happily bought the vehicle for Hamamat as a gift on her birthday and even registered it in her name but when their relationship turned sour; he turned around to accuse her of stealing it.
The court said Versa Keskinen could not prove that the car, which was registered in the name of Hamamat, indeed belonged to him even though he bought it for her.
The judge also said that the document tendered in evidence by Hamamat showed clearly that the complainant and the accused were in a relationship which the prosecuting wanted to hide.
After proceedings, an excited looking Hamamat, said that she was falsely accused and the court had set the issues straight with her acquittal and discharge. She expressed gratitude to her lawyer for defending her in the case and the court for letting justice prevail.
