Opinions of Tuesday, 31 May 2011

Columnist: Gyane, Kevin

Where Is Justice For Amina

Where Is Justice For Amina- The Innocent Girl In Jail

About a year ago, Amina, an innocent girl reported to the Ghanaian police that while her mother, other passengers and herself were travelling from Accra to Northern Ghana, somewhere in the Kitempo district the bus on which they were travelling was stopped by about 10-12 armed robbers. When the bus stopped, these armed robbers searched and stole everything from them. After this, they then commanded that all the men on the bus should rape the female passengers. This included other people’s wives’ and an old frail woman over 70 years of 80 who wept in pain as she was being gang raped. To one’s utmost disgust, a man who was travelling with his teenage daughter was also commanded at gun point to rape her. The only person spared this evil and humiliating ordeal was Amina as she was on her period.
Nobody broke the news except for Amina, the reason being, how could the married women tell their husbands that they have been gang raped by 5 or 6 unknown men in the middle of their journey. The trauma and the humiliation was so much that they dared not talk about the incident, rather, they chose to bear this suffering, agony and shock in silence. It was Amina who was not raped that broke the news and gave information to the police. Despite the doubts by the police and some in the media or general public, her story was confirmed by two or three other women who dared not to go to the police for fear that they too would be arrested and the fact that this could end their marriage.
Sadly, instead of the police investigating the matter, they hurriedly denied that the incident had taken place, arrested Amina and bundled her into a cell and jail. Despite the fact that similar incidents were taking place in the Juaboso area in the Western region, the police and the security agencies shamelessly overlooked all these facts , turned the matter into politics stating that the opposition NPP had schooled Amina to say this to discredit and embarrass the government. Although this information was accurate and correct, had nothing to do with politics, the police and the security agencies accused her of deliberately causing fear and panic in the state and so arrested her and put her in prison where she is still languishing.
On Tuesday, 10th May 2011, almost a year after, we have learnt on a London based radio station that a similar incident happened, that is, armed robbers have struck again in the Sampa area in the Brong Amado region as before; robbed the passengers of their money and possessions and raped the women on the bus at gunpoint, a statement which the area commander has confirmed.
Behold, where is the freedom and justice which are enshrined on the Ghana coat of arms for this innocent girl who is languishing in prison for speaking the truth? If a similar incident has occurred in the same area, i.e. Brong Ahafo region under the nose of the area commander , then what is the reason for still holding Amina in prison. Like the Holy Susanna in the Bible who was falsely accused of crime and liberated by the Lord, has not Amina been vindicated , and therefore must be freed? Has she not been exonerated? Has she not been proved correct? Has her testimony not been verified as correct? In that case, why do the prosecution, police and the rotten , corrupt judge still keep the innocent girl in jail. Is this what Ghana has become after 54 years of independence, that a person should be put in prison for speaking the truth? Has the nation of Ghana descended so low into the stinking gutter? Where is justice concerned?
The corrupt police, the security agencies, the prosecutor, the attorney general and judges and the whole judiciary should bow their heads in shame, as the Lord who knows and sees everything even in secret has vindicated Amina and exposed these tin gods who think because of their bought positions they can do whatever they like with somebody’s life.
Are they holding Amina in prison because her mother or father does not have the money to bribe these corrupt police , prosecutors, security agencies and corrupt judges or because her parents do not belong to the political class or are not members of the hopeless political group. Let those holding Amina in prison be aware, for they are not doing any good to the Republic of Ghana as any nation which does not rule or uphold truth and justice does not succeed but perish.
In all this, where are the lawyers who preach human rights? Where is that hopeless Nana Oye Lithur who calls herself a human rights lawyer, preaches that it is one’s right to indulge in homosexuality and that women should freely enjoy lesbianism? Where is the voice of this stupid, sexually perverted woman who has prostituted herself to the homosexual bush man JJ Rawlings and his NDC and therefore saw everything wrong with Kuffour and the NPP administration but not the currency human rights abuses currently going on with the Mills government.
If the people of Ghana believe they are practicing Democracy then they should realize that Equality before the law is an important facet or aspect this principle. To talk of democracy without the rule of law is like the old adage of saying that “ Africa without Madagascar is like soup without salt”. Just imagine that if there was no rule of law operating in America, Strauss Kahn one of the most powerful men in the world would not have been brought to justice by a simple chambermaid. That ladies and gentlemen is the real test of human rights and that is the essence of justice and equality before the law.
Where are the women lawyers and organisations who preach justice and empowerment of women in society? Why have they not adopted Amina’s case and fought tooth and nail towards her release from prison? Are they mute because they fear their daily bread or being sacked from their comfortable positions in the government?
Let these shameless corrupt judges, the law enforcement agencies beware for they do not only bring disgrace to this country but will invite catastrophe to this nation by keeping this innocent Amina in prison to save their skins. Their baheviour damages the image of this nation as investors are no fools and will not sink their money into a country where there is no justice, apply the rule of law but apply a corrupt judicatory.
If the Ghana government treat her own nationals with injustice and contempt , why should other countries where citizens travel to better themselves accord them any respect and not hang them without trial as Gadaffi did a few weeks before the revolution and Iran and Saudi Arabia treat them like animals and common criminals? Why should Ghanaian nationals fare better in foreign countries if their own government treat them unfairly and with injustice.
Amina should be released AT ONCE from prison and be generously compensated by the government for trampling on her freedom, liberty and dignity with impunity as prison is not f for a person who speaks the truth for armed robbers to be arrested and the evil in society to be corrected.
How can the armed robbers who committed these hideous crimes be walking free in society while Amina still languishes in jail. Ghanaian corrupt judges think again for you are a disgrace to humanity and making yourselves laughing stocks in the world.

A very concerned citizen