Koffi Olomide, one of Africa's most popular singers, has been given a
three-month suspended prison sentence for assaulting his producer.
The rumba star, 56, was arrested after a fracas on Wednesday at a
hotel in Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Correspondents say the courtroom was packed to see the star, who leads
the Quartier Latin band.
Olomide this year denied charges of raping three of his dancers in France.
The altercation with his producer, Diego Lubaki, was over a debt of
3,000 euros ($3,680, £2,345), the court heard.
'Door damaged'
Mr Lubaki said he wanted to drop the charges, but the judge continued the trial.
"He wanted to withdraw charges in favour of social peace and peace
between him and the one he calls his 'big brother'," one of his
lawyers is quoted by the AFP news agency as saying.
The court convicted Olomide of assault and battery but acquitted him
of malicious destruction to property, after the hotel room door was
damaged in the fight.
The music he plays is known as "soukous", which comes from the French
word secouer, meaning to shake, and its dancers are renowned for their
erotic moves.
Like other Congolese musicians, he is known for his extravagant
lifestyle and flashy outfits.
Born in 1956, he won a scholarship to do a maths degree in France. On
his return to the then-Zaire, he joined the band of musician Papa
Wemba, initially as a songwriter.
He later struck out on his own and in the 1980s his soukous style
gained popularity around Africa and he has won several Kora All Africa
Music Awards.
However, his career has not been without controversy and the raunchy
performances of some of his songs have been banned in some countries.
He sang in support of DR Congo's President Joseph Kabila during the
2006 election campaign, angering many of his fans in the opposition.
Olomide has battled to hold successful tours in Europe since then, as
opposition supporters disrupt his concerts, the BBC's Patrice Chitera
in Kinshasa says.
No comments:
Post a Comment