Community service not part of our laws-Odeneho Kwaku Appiah to “pocket lawyers”
Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the Afigya Kwabre constituency has waded into the trending sentencing of Akuapem Poloo; a known social media personality.
Rosemond Brown; better known as “Akuapem Poloo” was handed a 90 day jail sentence by the Accra circuit court for publishing naked pictures she took with her son.
Her 90-day sentence has since generated huge discussions around Ghana’s reformation systems with some suggesting that the jail sentence is too harsh.
Many believe that community service would have been more suitable than a jail sentence.
Odeneho Kwaku Appiah; a leading member of the New Patriotic Party who is being tipped by many as the next Ashanti regional NPP Chairman says Ghana does not have any provision for “Community service” in her laws. “The truth of the matter is we don’t have community service as punishment in our laws. Our laws only talk about paying a fine, jail sentence or both” he wrote on his Facebook wall.
He also charged scholars within the law fraternity to make moves to inculcate community service in Ghana’s laws to enable judges have that option during sentencing.
“We should also know that no judge can use his or her discretion to go beyond or below the law.
The talking alone will not solve the problem. Let’s make a move” he emphasized.
