Professor of International Law at the University of Ghana, Kwadwo Appiagyei Atua, has cautioned against using political language to characterise criminal convictions, saying public commentary should remain grounded in the legal facts of a case.
Prof Appiagyei Atua took issue with the New Patriotic Party’s decision to describe its Ashanti Regional Chairman, Bernard Antwi Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, as a political prisoner following his conviction and 20-year prison sentence over illegal mining activities.
“I think NPP went below the belt by drawing that conclusion,” he said Speaking on Newsfile on JoyNews.
According to the legal academic, labels associated with political persecution should not be applied where a court has determined a criminal matter based on the evidence before it.
He explained that discussions surrounding high-profile cases should distinguish between political opinion and legal findings, particularly where the proceedings have gone through the judicial process.
Prof Appiagyei Atua said his reading of portions of the judgment gave him confidence that the court handled the matter carefully.
“Having listened to, well, not much of the discussion going on, but having had the time to read just portions of the judgments, I come to the conclusion that clearly this was a decision that was fairly decided by the courts,” he stated.
