Akosua Serwaa strengthens appeal in ongoing Daddy Lumba marriage dispute
The legal battle surrounding the estate of late Ghanaian highlife icon Daddy Lumba has taken another turn after Akosua Serwaa filed fresh documents at the Court of Appeal in Kumasi to support her challenge against portions of an earlier High Court ruling.
Akosua Serwaa, who was recognised by the Kumasi High Court as one of Daddy Lumba's surviving wives, is seeking to overturn the court's finding that she failed to prove the existence of a valid civil marriage with the musician in Germany.
The dispute stems from a judgment delivered on November 28, 2025, by Justice Dorinda Smith-Arthur of the Kumasi High Court. In the ruling, the court recognised both Akosua Serwaa and Priscilla Ofori, popularly known as Odo Broni, as surviving spouses of the late musician based on customary marriage arrangements.
However, the court rejected a German marriage document presented by Akosua Serwaa as evidence of a civil marriage. The judge ruled that the document submitted was only an extract and not an original marriage certificate, making it insufficient as conclusive proof of the alleged marriage.
Dissatisfied with that aspect of the judgment, Akosua Serwaa filed an appeal at the Court of Appeal in Kumasi. New court filings that emerged on June 11, 2026, indicate that her legal team has now submitted additional documents aimed at strengthening the appeal.
Speaking after a recent court appearance, her lawyer disclosed that the Court of Appeal had granted permission for amendments to be made to the grounds of appeal.
"There is a pending appeal against the ruling of the Kumasi High Court. The appeal challenges the validity of the marriage. We appeared today to amend the grounds of appeal so we can address and correct certain issues arising from the judgment," counsel for Akosua Serwaa stated.
According to the amended appeal, the legal team argues that the trial judge wrongly concluded that Akosua Serwaa had not established the existence of a valid monogamous civil marriage contracted in Germany with the late musician.
The appeal further contends that the court erred in determining that insufficient evidence had been presented to support the marriage claim. Lawyers for Akosua Serwaa also argue that the judge improperly combined issues relating to foreign law with questions concerning the validity of the marriage itself.
Her legal representatives maintain that the court failed to adequately consider several pieces of evidence tendered during the trial, including claims of cohabitation, public recognition by the deceased, eyewitness testimony, photographs, children allegedly born from the relationship, documentary records and correspondence from the German Embassy in Ghana.
According to the appeal, these materials collectively provided substantial proof of the marriage and should have been given greater evidential weight.
The amended filings also challenge the court's handling of the German marriage documentation. The legal team argues that excessive emphasis was placed on alleged deficiencies in the authentication process and that those concerns were wrongly treated as evidence that no marriage existed.
Additionally, the appeal claims that the trial judge misinterpreted Section 161 of NRCD 323 by treating certification requirements as mandatory conditions for the admissibility and evidential value of foreign documents.
Lawyers for Akosua Serwaa further dispute the court's position on the absence of certification from Ghana's embassy in Germany, insisting that the totality of the evidence presented was sufficient to establish the validity of the alleged marriage.
The case is expected to continue before the Court of Appeal, where judges will further examine the legal status of Akosua Serwaa's relationship with the late highlife legend and determine whether the High Court's findings should be upheld or set aside.
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