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Prison inmates on death row appeal for
review of jury conviction
Nsawam, July 03, Ghanadot/GNA - Prisoners who are on death
row at the Nsawam Medium Security Prison have appealed to
the Parliamentary Select Committee on the Judiciary to
consider a review of trial by jury for high felony cases.
Rather, they want to have three high court judges to preside
over such cases to bring about an objective and legal
analyses of the cases that they claimed many jurors lacked.
They also alleged that many jurors are corrupt and that
wealth often influences the verdict jurors reach.
Making their appeal to the committee members in their
condemned cells on Saturday when members of the committee
visited the prison, the inmates requested for state support
especially in the area of legal representation at the
appellate courts.
They said it was wrong for the public to assume that every
prisoner was guilty of his offence and that not only are the
courts not foolproof but there are also many instances where
the courts erred in their judgments.
An inmate, Kobina Nsiah who has served more than 10 years,
said Ghana was unnecessarily sending many able-bodied men to
the gallows on false charges.
Nsiah admitted his offences but attested to the innocence of
some of inmates who he said now find themselves in their
situation because of no legal representation.
Zakaria Yakubu, who has been on the row for the past nine
years, pleaded with the parliamentarians to help steer the
nation away from retribution to the path of reformation and
reconciliation.
He wants the MPs to consider abolishing the death penalty in
favour of other forms of punishments.
Douglas Atia, who has been waiting his final call for the
past nine years, said many of the 91 prisoners on the death
row have mental problems.
He said while there is evidence that some were clearly sick
at the time they committed their offences, others became mad
through the cause of the laborious process of sentencing.
Atia said it should be the responsibility of the state to
evaluate these patients and if possible send them to
psychiatry facilities.
The Member of Parliament for Kumawu and the Chairman of the
Committee, Mr Yaw Baah, said it was the responsibility of
the state to address the human right needs of all its
citizens including those on death roll.
He said the committee would critically consider their
requests and factor them into any Prison reforms that they
might recommend.
GNA
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