BILLY BOY GOES TO JAIL

Judgment done under closed door

By Okoth Osewe in Stockholm

Billy Okello, a Kenyan Rapper known by his artist name of “Billy Boy” has been jailed for eight months by a Swedish court after being found guilty of five separate charges namely: mishandling a Swedish woman, threatening the woman, damage to property, driving without a license and driving while under the influence of alcohol.

Billy will also pay the woman a total of 28,700 Swedish crowns in compensation for damages to the woman’s property, causing her pain, violating her integrity and causing her physical and psychological trauma.

The woman was awarded 5,000 kr for each and every one of the four assaults while the court decided that the compensation will be paid with interest from 6th August 2002 when the last attack is said to have occurred. According to the judgment, Billy was sent to prison on the basis of what his accuser told the court.

“The major part of the investigation is based on the interview with (name with-held) and the case is built entirely on the information she gave”, read the judgment. “As compared to Okello (name with-held) appeared prominently more believable. The court has decided that the information she gave will be used as the basis of the judgment”, wrote Judge Bengt Bondesson.

“All the crimes Okello is guilty of are such that a prison sentence will, in the first instance, act as a deterrent” wrote the judge. “The court decides that this deterrent will be eight months in prison. Okello has been unavailable for a long time without trace. There is a hanging risk that if left free, he will not be able to meet the sentence. On this ground, he will continue to be held in custody”, concluded the Judge who gave Billy until January 25th to appeal.

A group of supporters who came to court to listen to the judgment (including Billy’s girlfriend) did not have an opportunity to enter the court room as they were told that judgment had already been delivered behind closed doors. Speaking on telephone as police prepared to take him to prison, Billy said he was never allowed into the court room.

“I was preparing to go to court but a guard came and told me that I have already been sentenced to eight years in prison. I never even saw my lawyer and I have not seen the judgment”, he said, trying to enquire what was contained in it. He thanked everybody who had come to show solidarity with him. When a Kenyan inquired how the group could listen to the judgment, he was told by a guard that this was not possible.

“What will happen is that you will have a piece of paper containing the judgment and then you can have someone to read it for you”, said the guard.

Billy’s girlfriend was later allowed to slip into the court to pay 56 kr to receive a copy of the judgment. She did not see or talk to Billy.

Officials from the Kenyan Embassy in Stockholm were conspicuously absent from the court precinct although a leading Embassy official had indicated that the Embassy would be represented. The Embassy skipped the main trial last week while the institution has also been very quiet over the Billy case without explanations.

Pastor Beatrice Kamau, who was at the court, said that the most important thing after what had happened was to focus on the appeal as people prepared to give Billy moral and psychological support in case the appeal fails.

Mr. Martin Ngatia, a former Kenya Air Force serviceman, said that Sweden is a “fascist country” and that this fascism manifests itself best in the country’s courts especially in situations where Africans are involved. Grief stricken supporters of Billy blamed the Rapper’s predicament on racism and discrimination of Africans in Sweden.