The cases have bordered on the sad, the bizarre, and the downright ridiculous. But in every single one of the court cases that have come to the attention of Judge Akoto Ampaw, they have been great television viewing. Family Bench has been that show that relaxes the audience and keeps you wanting more.
Here are some of our fave moments.
Bridget takes on her dad
Mr. Charles, 56, is hauled to court for using a room rented for him by his daughter, Bridget, to cavort with young girls. Bridget has previously warned her father, who is jobless, to stop smoking in the room, but to no avail. She is worried that her two young daughters, who are close to her father, are at risk of picking up the habit. There is also the danger of inhaling second-hand smoke, which will be dangerous for their health.
As for Mr. Charles is adamant that he’s done nothing wrong. He draws laughter from the court when he is whether he pays for the services of the young girls. “The young guys are not [giving the girls the satisfaction they want], but the old men, we try for them!”
No honour among thieves
Joe is unhappy because he feels cheated by his brother, Eric. They both work for their uncle, doing odd jobs around the man’s home. While watering the garden one day, Joe sees Eric pocketing money from their uncle’s car. When confronted by Joe, Eric asks his brother to keep it quiet, in exchange for sharing the loot. But after about two weeks, Eric doesn’t honour his word, and an upset Joe reports his brother to their uncle – just so that both of them get none of the money!
Romance fraud
Zein is happily married with his wife, Zaina. Both are Muslims, meaning that Zein is entitled to four wives. However, Zaina contends that her husband has married another woman without telling the new beau of his existing union. The twist in the tale is that the new woman is a white expat, leading Judge Ampaw to believe that Zein intended to commit the crime of romance fraud.
Ahiagba the helper
In one of the most bizarre cases the court has seen to date, we meet Ahiagba. He’s a 35-year-old man having an affair with 18-year-old Samira, who happens to be the daughter of his very good friend. Ahiagbah claims Samira was having problems with her father and, hence, ‘needed his help’. Utter
What a season of education, lessons, and laughter Family Bench has been! Judge Ampaw has taken on the role of father, mother, adviser and strict disciplinarian, all the while delivering endless shots of humour and good-natured fun. We certainly cannot wait for more!
With the finale coming on Christmas Day, make sure to not miss any coming episodes of Family Bench, Mondays at 8:00pm on Akwaaba Magic DStv channel 150 and GOtv channel 102. Reconnect now to enjoy the best of Akwaaba Magic on #MyDStv or #MyGOtv.