Jailed Girl Freed By Court

THE 17-year-old house help (name withhold) who was jailed 18-months for stealing GH¢30.00 belonging to her mistress, has been released by a high court, here, under the Justice For All programme.

Her case came up for adjudication yesterday when the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Joe Ghartey, visited the Kumasi Central Prisons as part of the "Justice For All" programme launched on May 13.

After narrating her story the Attorney-General paid the GH¢30 to be given to her mistress as well as the court fine imposed by the court which she could not afford.

But, at the court, yesterday, it came out that there was a procedural error as there was no option of a fine and that the police did not even read the charge against her in the language she understood.

Releasing her, the Judge, Justice Imoro Ziblim, ordered that the GH¢50.00 being the fine, should be given to her to enable her to return to her hometown at Bolgatanga.

It was a moment of mixed feelings of joy and sorrow for the girl when the court passed the sentence. She was full of praise for the minister for helping her out of her predicament.

She had told the Minister that, when she came from her hometown, she lived with a woman for whom she worked, selling some of the items the woman traded in.

On one of such errands, she sold goods worth GH¢40.00 but when she took the money home, her mistress said the proceeds should have been GH¢70.00 and accused her of pocketing the difference.

The mistress subsequently reported her to the police who, after taking her statement altered her age which she gave as 17 years to read 19 years.

She was then arraigned before a circuit court which jailed her 18 months. She had spent two months in prison before her release.

The "Justice For All" programme was instituted in September 2007 to provide remand prisoners the opportunity to interact with staff of the Attorney- General's Department and some private lawyers who offer legal advice and determination of their cases.

Their cases are heard at the prison and those found innocent are released while those found guilty would be sentenced taking into consideration, the number of years, already spent on remand.