Immediate family members of late highlife legend Charles Kwadwo Fosu have filed a fresh lawsuit seeking to halt his scheduled December 13 funeral over concerns about unauthorized autopsy and alleged financial mismanagement.
Five plaintiffs, including Obaapanyin Afia Adomah Pakoso of Kumasi, Robert Gyamfi, Georgina Gyamfi, Ernestina Fosuh, and Nana Afia Kobi, filed the writ at the High Court in Accra. The case is scheduled for hearing on December 11, 2025.
The plaintiffs accuse family head Abusuapanyin Kofi Owusu of conducting an autopsy on the musician without their knowledge or consent. They claim they were deliberately excluded from critical decisions regarding funeral arrangements since Daddy Lumba passed away on July 26, 2025.
Financial allegations form a central part of the lawsuit. The plaintiffs allege that Owusu withdrew GH¢11,000 from the Daddy Lumba Memorial Foundation account at CalBank before new signatories were appointed. They further claim he withdrew an additional GH¢60,000 on November 11, 2025, without family consent.
According to MyJoyOnline, the plaintiffs have sought an interlocutory injunction against Transitions Funeral Home to prevent the release of the body to the family head for burial. They also want CalBank restrained from releasing any funds from the DL Foundation account to Owusu.
The lawsuit comes after the Kumasi High Court ruled last week that both Akosua Serwaa and Priscilla Ofori should be recognized as surviving wives of Daddy Lumba. Justice Dorinda Smith Arthur directed that both women should perform widowhood rites at the funeral.
The immediate family had previously taken their concerns to the Manhyia Palace, where traditional authorities reportedly dissolved an initial funeral committee formed by Owusu. However, the plaintiffs claim Owusu has continued to retain control of funds and decision making authority despite the palace intervention.
The family statement emphasized that comprehensive autopsy procedures and parallel investigations are ongoing in both Ghana and Germany. They characterized attempts to proceed with burial before these investigations conclude as irresponsible and suspicious.
Additional complications cited by the family include the fact that several of Daddy Lumba’s children based in Germany are preparing for critical academic examinations. Many immediate family members working abroad also require reasonable advance notice to secure leave from their employers.
The dispute has transformed what should be a unified period of national mourning into a complex legal contest. Billboards advertising the December 13 funeral date have appeared across Accra and Kumasi, though the immediate family insists this date was never formally agreed upon.
Daddy Lumba died at The Bank Hospital in Accra at age 60 following spinal surgery. He had disclosed during his 2024 birthday celebration that health challenges related to his spine had affected him for several years. His passing prompted widespread national mourning, with tributes pouring in from government officials, fellow musicians, and fans globally.
The legendary musician’s career spanned more than three decades of highlife music that influenced generations across Ghana and beyond. He was widely regarded as one of the country’s greatest cultural icons, with songs that became deeply woven into the fabric of Ghanaian life.
