Private legal practitioner, Prince Benson Mankotam, says early legal missteps in a 2018 letter written on behalf of Akosua Serwaa Fosu, may have contributed to her defeat in the high-profile marital status case involving the late highlife legend, Charles Kwadwo Fosu, popularly known as, Daddy Lumba.
Speaking on Starr Showbiz with Feeling Daddy on Starr 103.5 FM on Saturday, 29 November 2025, the Senior Associate at Edfields Attorneys said he had carefully examined the letter Serwaa’s legal team issued seven years earlier and found several inconsistencies that may have undermined her arguments in court.
According to him, while he would not publicly condemn the lawyers involved, the content of the letter revealed admissions and contradictions that could have weakened Serwaa’s claim to being the sole surviving spouse of the musician.
Lawyer Mankotam explained that the letter, written in February 2018 as a notice of intent to commence legal action, contained statements that did not support Serwaa’s case.
“In that letter, Akosua Serwaa even admitted that she knew that he had gone to marry another person,” he noted. He added that the document also suggested that Serwaa herself had indicated an intention to divorce Daddy Lumba, even though that process had not been completed.
He questioned why a letter meant to signal legal action would simultaneously advise the musician to “go to court and seek divorce,” describing the positioning as inconsistent.
“These are some of the things that might have contributed to what we are hearing,” he said, emphasising that certain issues in the letter did not “necessarily go so well for Akosua Serwaa.”
READ: Serwah Fosuh, Odo Broni are both lawful wives of Daddy Lumba – Court declares
Although acknowledging the shortcomings in the document, the lawyer cautioned against blanket criticism of Serwaa’s legal representatives. He explained that outsiders often lack full access to the instructions, circumstances or constraints under which counsel acted.
“We are advised to act slowly when it comes to criticising our fellow lawyers in public because sometimes you are not privy to all the information,” he said.
Background
On Friday, November 28, 2025, the High Court in Kumasi dismissed Akosua Serwaa Fosu’s request to be recognised as the sole surviving spouse of the late highlife icon, legally known as Charles Kwadwo Fosu. The court held that both Serwaa and Priscilla Ofori Atta, popularly known as Odo Broni, are lawful wives of the musician.
The ruling, delivered by Justice Dorinda Smith-Arthur, followed months of legal disputes stemming from competing claims after Daddy Lumba’s death on July 26, 2025. Serwaa had filed a suit on October 3, 2025 asserting that a civil marriage allegedly contracted with the musician in Germany in 2004 superseded all other marital claims.
However, the court noted that she failed to produce an original or certified true copy of the civil marriage certificate and instead submitted extracts whose authenticity was questioned. The defence also argued that her customary marriage to the musician had previously been dissolved and that Odo Broni had contracted a valid customary marriage with him and lived with him for over 15 years.
The court’s decision means both women may perform widowhood rites and participate in funeral and estate matters. Certified copies of the judgment are expected to be released on December 1, 2025.
Source: Starrfm.com.gh
