Appeal Court fines Akuapem Poloo GHC12,000
All-male judicial panel rules for release of incarcerated actress
Ghanaian legal practitioner, Professor Stephen Kwaku Asare, has waded into the ruling by the Court of Appeal on the notice of appeal filed by lawyers for actress, Rosemond Alade Brown.
According to Prof. Azar, it is fascinating that the female judges, who earlier dealt with the case, passed judgement for a custodial sentence on the actress while the male judges, who sat on her appeal, favoured a fine.
“Justice Anthony Koffie, Justice Eric Baah and Justice Bright Mensah (all of the appeal court) concluded that a fine of Ȼ12,000 fits the 'offence' while Justice Ruby Aryeetey (high court) and Her Honour Mrs. Christiana Cann (circuit court) went for a 90 days custodial sentence.
“In their ruling, the appellate judges said they “took into consideration the interest of the seven-year-old son and the fact that he will need parental care. The panel also considered the fact that the convict 'is a single mother' and has shown remorse since her conviction.
“It is fascinating that the men took motherhood and parental care into consideration while those considerations did not seem to sway the women that much,” he stated in a Facebook post sighted by GhanaWeb.
In professor Azar’s view, the observation raises several questions “including whether female judges are harsher than male judges" when dealing with such matters.
“Unfortunately, the question cannot be answered with the datum but there are enough decided cases for a student or researchers to dig in and provide definitive answers,” he added.
Akuapem Poloo’s 90-day jail term commuted for a GHC12,000 fine by Appeal Court
The Court of Appeal has fined Akuapem Poloo GH¢12, 000 to overrule her 90-day jail term imposed on Tuesday, December 7, 2021.
Actress Rosemond Alade Brown popularly known as Akuapem Poloos’ Lawyers led by Andrew Kudzo Vortia filed a notice of appeal at the Court of Appeal challenging the dismissal of her appeal by the High Court.
On Monday, December 1, 2021, the High Court presided over by Justice Ruby Aryeetey dismissed her Appeal seeking a non-custodial sentence instead of a custodial sentence.
The High Court ruled that the 90 days custodial sentence imposed on her by the Circuit Court was not “manifestly excessive” and “harsh” and therefore cannot interfere with that decision.
A copy of the notice of appeal sighted by Starrfm.com.gh filed on Monday, December 6, 2021, stated as follows;
“Please take note that the convict/appellant/appellant hearin, being aggrieved by the judgement of the High Court Criminal Division (1)Accra, Her Ladyship Ruby Aryeetey dated 1st December 2021 dismissing the appellant appeal against the conviction and sentenced to 90 days imprisonment imposed on the appellant on each count to run concurrently by Her Honour Mrs Christiana Cann dated April 16, 2021, hereby appeals to the court of appeal on the grounds set out below and for the release stated hereunder.
“That the learned judge erred in failing to appreciate that as a young first offender and a single parent, a noncustodial sentenced of a fine instead of a custodial sentence of 90days imposed on the appellant by the trial court is appropriate in this case,” the notice of appeal stated.
“That the custodial sentence of 90 days imposed on the appellant be set aside and in lieu, be substituted with a non-custodial sentence or a fine,” it added.
Actress, Akuapem Poloo