The founder and director of the POS Foundation, Jonathan Osei Owusu, shared the story of a man who spent six years in Koforidua Prisons even after his case was dismissed by the Mampong Court. He explained that although the accused was acquitted, he remained in prison due to a police officer’s misconduct.
Recounting the issue on JoyNews’ The Law, Mr Osei Owusu said the man had been charged with murder, and after spending a year in custody, a pathology test revealed that the alleged victim had died of pneumonia, not foul play. Consequently, the Mampong Court struck out the case, effectively ordering his release. However, the accused remained incarcerated.
“Per our [Justice for All] the police officer said he had been taking him to court with his own money so he [the accused] needed to pay the transportation fee. “The accused couldn’t and somehow the warrant he used, we don’t know, but we found this man in Koforidua Prisons after six years,” he said.
The human rights activist bemoaned these actions by some police officers noting that it is a contributing factor to injustices in the judicial system. He reiterated Justice Angelina Mensah-Homiah’s caution to the police that “once a court strikes out a case, the accused must not be returned to custody under any circumstance.”
“We have encountered other individuals in prison where the court had ordered their release, yet they were still remanded. “The police take whatever remand warrant, we don’t know, and send them to prison. In such cases, the Police CID cannot be forgiven,” he said.
The POS Foundation continues to advocate for human rights and judicial reforms in Ghana, aiming to prevent such miscarriages of justice and ensure that injustices are reverted and law enforcement authorities uphold court orders.
Source: Myjoyonline.com
