Organisers of the Vofadone Ghana Music Awards (VGMAs) Charterhouse Productions has apologised to patrons and millions of viewers on television and social media all over the world for the security breach that marred the 20th edition of the event in the wee hours of Sunday, 19 May 2019 at the Accra International Conference Center (AICC).
Chaterhouse house said sanctions will be applied to persons whose actions marred the event.
A statement signed by the head of communications at Chaterhouse George Quaye said: “Charterhouse has taken serious exception to the incident that happened and at the 20th edition of the awards and thus will ensure that the needed sanctions are applied”.
The organisers also apologised to all of its sponsors and important dignitaries present at the event and hinted that press briefings will be held to formally speak to the matter.
The highly anticipated show nearly turned bloody when fans of reggae/dancehall artistes Stonebwoy and Shatta Wale engaged in near-fisticuffs over an award.
The confusion happened when Stonebwoy was announced as the Reggae Dancehall Artiste of the Year.
Shatta Wale and his fans approached the podium to, ostensibly congratulate Stonebwoy, but events turned chaotic resulting in a lot of pushing and shoving – a situation that prompted Stonebwoy to pull out his pistol.
The security officers at the event pepper-sprayed the stage in an attempt to prevent a full-blown fight.
The “Kpok3k3” hitmaker later apologised for his actions.
“I’m sorry for the incident that happened earlier. I only had to react out of natural instincts because we all know how premeditative some people can be. We’ve seen on social media the threats and everything, so, we couldn’t come in unprepared because anything could have happened as you guys saw. I come in peace and I go in peace and I apologise to the whole of Ghana…” Stonebwoy said on stage when he picked his second award of the night after the show had resumed following the fracas.
Meanwhile, the two award-winning artistes were on Sunday afternoon invited by the Accra Regional Police Command and detained.
According to ClassFMonline.com sources, the two will be arraigned on Tuesday, 21 May 2019.
Source: Ghana/ClassFMonline.com
