Celebrity lookalikes could face about 20 year jail term if… – Lawyer
Legal practitioner, Godwin Selasi Owusu says individuals impersonating celebrities could spend about 20 years in jail if they do not desist from the act.
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Speaking on Joy Prime’s Prime Morning, he explained that impersonation of an individual is a criminal act, according to the law, and if the culprits are taken to court, they could be accused of defrauding by false pretence.
“Because defrauding by false pretence under Act 29 which is the criminal act under section 132 talks about the fact that, you make your representation of false pretences to suggest that you’re someone for the person or someone to part with a property,” he said on Friday.
“So once we go elsewhere like a village and you get someone to think you’re Kuami Eugene or Mr Drew, and the person parts with a property or money then you could be held liable for defrauding by false pretence and that’s a second-degree felony. And offences which include dishonesty can lead to about a sentence of 20 years, that is the criminal side,” he explained.
The lawyer also clarified that having a physical resemblance with someone is actually not criminal because individuals do not control their looks.
However, “it’s the activities of these persons and the intention behind these things that could lead to criminal liability or civil liability,” he said on Friday.
Mr Owusu advised the management of these celebrities to take the necessary actions immediately before the situations worsen adding that “you can issue a stop and desist letter to actually ask them to stop because, at the end of the day, this is very dangerous.”
“So as an artiste or management of an artiste I think it’s better you take a step, once they’ve started doing things or having activities that may end up being of competition to your brand then you have to take a step, you don’t wait till things get out of hand,” the lawyer cautioned.
Speaking on the same show, entertainment pundit, Kwame Dadzie encouraged these look-alikes to use this opportunity to distinctively build themselves and bring their unique talents rather than riding on other people’s coattails.
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