Ghanaian pharmacist, artiste manager and building contractor Shadrach Agyei Owusu, who managed musician Black Sherif around 2021, has sued the Ghana Police Service and the Attorney General, seeking GH¢5 million in compensation over what he describes as an unlawful, humiliating and unconstitutional arrest.
Shadrach Agyei Owusu has also filed a claim for US$80,000 in special damages, alleging that the controversy surrounding his arrest and the subsequent circulation of videos damaged his reputation and resulted in the loss of a construction contract.
The human rights action was filed at the Human Rights Division of the High Court in Accra.
The motion was dated August 25, 2026, while Shadrach Agyei Owusu’s supporting affidavit was sworn on August 26, 2026.
Arrest at his residence
According to Shadrach Agyei Owusu’s affidavit, four heavily armed police officers arrived at his residence in Accra at about 6 a.m. on June 11, 2026 and informed him that he was under arrest.
Shadrach Agyei Owusu claims that when he asked the officers to explain the reason for his arrest and requested to see a warrant authorising his arrest or a search of his residence, no warrant was produced and no satisfactory explanation was given.
Shadrach Agyei Owusu alleges that the officers searched parts of his home and insisted that he accompany them to the National Police Headquarters, where he would allegedly be informed of the reason for his arrest.
He further claims that the incident occurred in the presence of his four young children, who became distressed as they watched their father being handcuffed inside the family home.
Shadrach Agyei Owusu says he had not yet dressed for the day and was wearing only boxer shorts when the officers arrived.
He alleges that although he asked for a few minutes to put on proper clothing, the request was refused.
He was subsequently handcuffed and escorted from his residence in his boxer shorts before being transported to the National Police Headquarters on Ring Road, Accra.
Shadrach Agyei Owusu maintains that the manner in which he was taken from his home caused him significant embarrassment and humiliation, particularly after members of the public allegedly recorded the incident.
Complaints that led to the arrest
According to the court documents, Shadrach Agyei Owusu was eventually informed at the Police Headquarters that a man identified as Sarhene Raphael had made complaints against him relating to a Range Rover vehicle, a property transaction and other commercial dealings.
Shadrach Agyei Owusu denied any criminal wrongdoing and maintained that the disputes arose from business and contractual transactions.
He stated that he became acquainted with Sarhene Raphael through Black Sherif, whom Shadrach Agyei Owusu managed around 2021.
According to Shadrach Agyei Owusu, in August 2024, Sarhene Raphael’s mother contacted him while he was in the United Kingdom and informed him that her son had been detained by the police over allegations involving approximately US$180,000.
Shadrach Agyei Owusu says that out of goodwill, he assisted in resolving the matter, including selling his house to help settle the alleged debt.
He claims that an arrangement was subsequently reached for Sarhene Raphael to repay the money owed to him.
A written document attached to the affidavit allegedly records a debt of US$180,000, of which US$106,250 had been repaid, leaving an outstanding balance of approximately US$73,750.
Shadrach Agyei Owusu says the repayment arrangement included payments in Ghana cedis, US dollars and a Range Rover vehicle.
Separate land dispute
The affidavit also refers to a separate dispute involving land allegedly allocated to a woman through Sarhene Raphael.
Shadrach Agyei Owusu claims that Sarhene Raphael was expected to pay him GH¢200,000 in connection with the transaction but failed to do so.
He says that after the dispute arose, he explained the circumstances to the woman involved and refunded GH¢110,000 to her.
Shadrach Agyei Owusu maintains that this matter was also contractual in nature and did not constitute a criminal offence.
Construction project complaint
A third complaint allegedly concerned a construction project at Tse Addo in Accra.
Shadrach Agyei Owusu says a client complained that the level of completion of a building project did not correspond with an alleged payment of US$400,000.
He disputes that claim and maintains that the construction work depended on the progressive release of funds by the client.
According to Shadrach Agyei Owusu, the client was instead indebted to him in the sum of approximately US$180,000, which contributed to the delay in completing the project.
A significant part of Shadrach Agyei Owusu’s case is his claim that the complaints against him were ultimately determined by senior police authorities to be civil and contractual disputes rather than criminal matters.
He says the complainants were invited to appear before the Director of Operations of the Ghana Police Service at the National Police Headquarters, where the various allegations were reviewed.
According to Shadrach Agyei Owusu, after hearing the parties, the Director of Operations concluded that the complaints did not disclose any criminal offence and were essentially disputes arising from commercial and contractual dealings.
Shadrach Agyei Owusu states that the complaints were subsequently dismissed as disclosing no criminal offence against him.
However, he argues that by that point, significant damage had already been done to his dignity, privacy, reputation and professional standing.
Arrest videos allegedly circulated widely
Shadrach Agyei Owusu claims that bystanders recorded videos of his arrest as he was escorted from his residence in handcuffs by armed police officers.
He alleges that the footage was subsequently circulated widely across Facebook, TikTok, Instagram, X, WhatsApp and online news platforms.
According to his affidavit, some publications allegedly portrayed him as a fraudster and falsely suggested that he had collected approximately US$1 million from individuals under the pretext of selling land and properties.
Shadrach Agyei Owusu denies those allegations and says they were never substantiated by the police.
He claims the videos and accompanying publications were viewed more than one million times and severely affected his reputation among patients, business associates, artistes, contractors, clients and members of the wider public.
He argues that people who saw the footage could have formed the impression that he was a criminal or fraudster, despite the alleged police determination that the underlying complaints were civil matters.
US$80,000 construction contract claim
Shadrach Agyei Owusu is also seeking US$80,000 in special damages, which he says represents the unpaid balance of a construction contract he allegedly lost following the circulation of the arrest videos.
According to the affidavit, his company, Grand Move Construction Limited, entered into a US$200,000 construction agreement with Edward Osei of Dawards Bond Limited in November 2024.
The project involved the construction of a six unit, four bedroom residential development at Oyarifa.
Shadrach Agyei Owusu says US$120,000 was paid as earnest money and part payment, with the remaining US$80,000 due upon completion and handover.
He states that construction had progressed to lintel level before his arrest.
However, Shadrach Agyei Owusu alleges that after videos and reports concerning his arrest began circulating, the client terminated the agreement and prevented him from completing the project.
He is therefore seeking the outstanding US$80,000 as special damages, arguing that the alleged loss was a direct and foreseeable consequence of the reputational damage caused by his arrest and its subsequent publicity.
GH¢5 million compensation claim
In his human rights application, Shadrach Agyei Owusu is asking the High Court to declare that his arrest and detention were unlawful and violated his constitutional right to personal liberty.
He is also asking the court to find that the manner in which he was arrested, including being handcuffed in front of his children and allegedly transported through public streets while wearing only boxer shorts, violated his constitutional right to human dignity and amounted to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment.
Among the reliefs being sought are:
▪︎ GH¢5 million in compensation or compensatory damages for alleged violations of his fundamental human rights;
▪︎ US$80,000 in special damages arising from the alleged loss of the Oyarifa construction contract;
▪︎ General damages;
▪︎ Legal costs on a full indemnity basis; and
▪︎ Any other reliefs the court considers appropriate.
The Ghana Police Service is named as the first respondent, while the Attorney General is the second respondent.
Shadrach Agyei Owusu maintains that the conduct of the officers involved in his arrest amounted to a gross violation of his constitutional rights and that the subsequent circulation of the arrest footage compounded the damage to his dignity and reputation.
The allegations contained in Shadrach Agyei Owusu’s affidavit are claims made in support of his human rights action 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 as the case proceeds.
As of the date of the court documents, a hearing date had not yet been fixed.
