A young lawyer with [email protected], a top law firm in Ghana, Stephen Nsiah Opoku Esq. has saved a man jailed for 25 years for a rape which trial was exposed to be riddled with errors and abuse of the fundamental human right of the accused.
The accused who is not related to the lawyer was affectionately called Uncle Tom was jailed when Stephen Nsiah Opoku Esq was a Secondary School student at Prempeh College and was at the time convinced the accused could have been saved if he had legal representation, a right under the law. Several students who knew of the man’s case suspected there could have been a miscarriage of justice.
According to reports, Uncle Tom was informed by police Prosecutors to plead guilty to rape and that he will be freed on account of his age when they appear before the judge. He was however jailed for 25 years with hard labour. The young SHS student and his mates two of whom are now lawyers heard about the news and were sad.
Ten (10) years later, upon becoming a lawyer and working at the prestigious [email protected] chambers, Nsiah Opoku Esq who was a President of the Ghana Law School Students Representative Council (SRC) revived an appeal process where his brilliant argument convinced the judge to release Uncle Tom.
A colleague lawyer of Stephen Nsiah Opoku Esq, Benjamin Ebo Dantse Esq who works at a different law firm said Stephen Nsiah Opoku deserved to be celebrated for his humanity, brilliance and selflessness.
Read what Benjamin Ebo Dantse Esq had to say about the full incident:
I want to congratulate Stephen Opoku Nsiah Esq. of Kulendi at Law for handling and seeking justice for this Family Friend of mine.
We were probably in SHS and we heard that Uncle Tom as he was affectionately known had been convicted of Defilement. We were informed that he pleaded guilty to the offence and was sentenced to 25 years. Obviously, unrepresented by a lawyer.
10 years after his conviction, Stephen revived the appeal and among others got the High Court to reduce his sentence of 25years or so to 10years and discharged him.
That’s a bold lawyer testing the law.
Further searches revealed a barrage of errors. When asked how he pleaded guilty, he explained that the police officer then, advised him to plead guilty and given his age the judge will forgive him.
This breaks my heart. A lot of people unrepresented by Lawyers plead to a number of offences and this deny them the right to a fair trial.
I’m happy but sad. He is home but with other medical issues. I missed this- he did the case for FREE.
Congratulations Stephen. This is what caused us to take the course we pursued in the university and you have lived to the billing.
Wofa Tom da wo ase.
