Kinshasa court denies Olomide bail, sent back to jail

Embattled Congolese musician, Koffi Olomide, will spend some more time in jail pending a hearing of an assault case against him.

His lawyer also confirmed on Friday that the musician failed to secure bail when he appeared before a judge in the capital Kinshasa. Olomide had applied for release on parole.

60-year-old Olomide was arrested on Monday at his upscale Kinshasa home, two days after he had been detained and subsequently deported by authorities in Kenya after a video of him (Olomide) kicking a female dancer at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) went viral on social media.

Kenya’s police chief ordered his deportation to the Democratic Republic of Congo on Saturday morning after he spent the night in JKIA police cells. His show in Kenya as well as another in Zambia were cancelled as a result.

Olomide was detained after Monday’s arrest. He was charged with assault and battery, charges he denies.

Calls for his arrest and trial were championed by a Congressman Zakarie Bababaswe, who filed a petition on behalf of the Congolese public to have the musician punished for assault.