Former Black Sherif Manager Sues Police, AG Over ‘Humiliating’ Arrest

Ghanaian pharmacist, artiste manager and building contractor Shadrack Agyei Owusu, a former manager of musician Black Sherif, has sued the Ghana Police Service and the Attorney General, seeking GH¢5 million in compensation over what he describes as an unlawful and humiliating arrest.

Owusu is also demanding US$80,000 in special damages, claiming that the publicity surrounding his arrest led to the termination of a construction contract and caused him financial losses.

The case has been filed at the Human Rights Division of the High Court in Accra and is numbered HR/0202/2026. The motion was dated August 25, 2026, while Owusu’s supporting affidavit was sworn on August 26, 2026.

According to the court documents, Owusu claims that four heavily armed police officers arrived at his residence at about 6 a.m. on June 11, 2026, and informed him that he was under arrest.

He said he asked the officers to explain why he was being arrested and requested to see a warrant authorising the arrest or a search of his residence.

However, Owusu alleges that the officers neither provided a warrant nor explained the reason for the arrest at that point.

He further claims that the officers searched his rooms and instructed him to accompany them to the National Police Headquarters. According to him, the officers told him that he would be informed of the reason for his arrest after they arrived at the headquarters.

Arrest in Boxer Shorts

A major part of Owusu’s complaint is centred on how he says the arrest was carried out.

He claims he was wearing only boxer shorts when the police officers arrived at his residence because he had not yet dressed for the day.

According to his affidavit, Owusu asked the officers to give him a few minutes to put on proper clothing. He alleges that the request was refused.

He was subsequently handcuffed and escorted out of his residence while still wearing his boxer shorts.

Owusu claims he was then transported through public streets to the National Police Headquarters on Ring Road in Accra.

He said the incident took place in the presence of his four young children, who he claims became distressed after seeing their father handcuffed and taken away by armed police officers.

“I suffered considerable embarrassment, humiliation and distress as members of the public looked on while I was being transported in an almost naked condition under police escort,” he stated in his affidavit.

Owusu argues that the manner in which the arrest was conducted violated his constitutional right to human dignity.

He further describes the treatment he allegedly received as cruel, inhuman and degrading.

Dispute Over Vehicle and Property

According to Owusu, he was eventually informed at the Police Headquarters that a man identified as Sarhene Raphael had lodged a complaint against him.

The affidavit states that Raphael accused Owusu of unlawfully taking possession of a Range Rover vehicle.

Owusu says the vehicle was allegedly intended to be sold to recover a debt owed to him.

Raphael also allegedly accused Owusu of unlawfully taking possession of a house that he was reportedly in the process of purchasing from him.

Owusu denied the allegations and told investigators that the issues were connected to commercial and contractual dealings between the parties.

He explained that he came to know Raphael through musician Black Sherif, whom he said he managed around 2021.

According to Owusu, Raphael and his mother approached him in August 2024 after Raphael was allegedly detained by the police over accusations relating to approximately US$180,000.

Owusu claims that he later assisted in settling the debt and that an arrangement was reached for the money to be repaid to him.

A handwritten document attached to his affidavit allegedly records a US$180,000 debt. According to the document, US$106,250 had been repaid, leaving an outstanding balance of US$73,750.

The affidavit also refers to other disputes involving land and a building project at Tse Addo in Accra.

Owusu says one client accused him of failing to complete a building project to a level that matched an alleged US$400,000 payment.

He denied the allegation, explaining that construction work depended on the progressive release of funds.

He also claims that the client owed him US$180,000.

Police Allegedly Classified Disputes as Civil

A central part of Owusu’s case is his claim that the police eventually determined that the complaints against him did not amount to criminal offences.

According to his affidavit, the complainants were invited to appear before the Director of Operations of the Ghana Police Service at the National Police Headquarters.

Owusu says the Director of Operations heard both sides and concluded that the complaints were essentially civil disputes arising from commercial and contractual transactions.

He claims the complaints were subsequently dismissed because they allegedly did not disclose any criminal offence against him.

However, Owusu argues that the alleged decision by the police did not undo the damage he says had already been caused by the manner of his arrest.

“Notwithstanding the subsequent conclusion reached by the Director of Operations, the damage to my dignity, privacy, reputation and standing had already occurred as a result of the manner in which I had been arrested and exposed to the public,” he stated.

Arrest Videos Circulate Online

Owusu’s case also focuses heavily on videos of his arrest which he claims were recorded and widely circulated on social media.

According to him, the videos were shared on Facebook, TikTok, Instagram, X and WhatsApp, as well as on various online news platforms.

He says the videos showed him in handcuffs being escorted by armed police officers while wearing only boxer shorts.

Owusu further claims that some of the publications accompanying the videos linked him to fraudulent activities.

He alleges that some reports claimed he had collected approximately US$1 million from individuals under the pretext of selling land and properties.

He maintains that the allegations were never substantiated by the police.

According to him, the videos and related publications were viewed more than one million times, exposing him to widespread public attention and damaging his reputation.

He said the publicity affected how he was viewed by his patients, business associates, artistes, contractors, clients and other members of the public.

“Many persons who viewed the videos formed the impression that I was a fraudster and a dangerous criminal,” he stated.

Owusu argues that the circulation of the videos and the claims made alongside them caused serious harm to his professional and business reputation.

Construction Contract Allegedly Lost

In addition to the GH¢5 million compensation he is seeking for alleged violations of his rights, Owusu is demanding US$80,000 in special damages over a construction contract he claims was terminated after his arrest became public.

According to his affidavit, Grand Move Construction Limited, where Owusu says he serves as Chief Executive Officer, entered into a US$200,000 construction agreement with Edward Osei of Dawards Bond Limited in November 2024.

The agreement reportedly required US$120,000 to be paid as earnest money and part payment, while the remaining US$80,000 was to be paid after the completion and handover of the project.

Owusu says the project involved the construction of a six-unit, four-bedroom residential development at Oyarifa.

He claims construction had reached the lintel level before his arrest.

However, he alleges that after his arrest and the subsequent publication of reports portraying him as a fraudster and criminal, the client terminated the agreement.

He further claims that he was prevented from continuing with the project.

Owusu is therefore seeking to recover the outstanding US$80,000 as special damages.

He argues that the loss was a direct result of the alleged damage to his reputation following the arrest and the subsequent circulation of videos and reports.

GH¢5m Compensation

In his application before the High Court, Owusu is asking the court to declare that his arrest and detention were unlawful and violated his constitutional right to personal liberty.

He is also seeking a declaration that the manner in which the arrest was conducted violated his right to human dignity.

This includes his claim that he was handcuffed in front of his four children and transported through public streets while wearing only boxer shorts.

Among the reliefs he is seeking from the court are GH¢5 million in compensation or compensatory damages for alleged violations of his fundamental human rights.

He is also seeking US$80,000 in special damages for the alleged loss of the Oyarifa construction contract.

In addition, Owusu is asking the court for general damages, legal costs on a full indemnity basis and any other orders the court considers appropriate.

The Ghana Police Service is the first respondent in the case, while the Attorney General is the second respondent.

Owusu maintains that the conduct of the police officers involved amounted to a “gross violation” of his constitutional rights.

Case Yet to Be Determined

The allegations contained in Owusu’s affidavit are claims made in support of his human rights application and have not yet been determined by the High Court.

The Ghana Police Service and the Attorney General will have the opportunity to respond to the allegations and present their positions as the case proceeds.

The court will therefore have to consider the claims made by Owusu, the circumstances surrounding his arrest, the alleged treatment he received, the circulation of the arrest videos and the financial losses he says resulted from the incident.

According to the court documents, no hearing date had been fixed at the time the application was prepared.

The case is expected to bring before the court questions about personal liberty, human dignity, the conduct of law enforcement officers during arrests and the extent to which alleged reputational damage may result in compensation.

For now, Owusu is asking the court to hold that his rights were violated and to award the various damages and reliefs contained in his application.