Private legal practitioner and Executive Director of the Centre for Legitimacy and Rule of Law (CLRL), Richard Nii Armah, has stated that convicted former MASLOC Boss, Sedinam Tamakloe, must not escape serving her ten-year jail term.
He posited that even if she is unwell, the country possesses health facilities capable of providing her with the necessary medical care while she serves her sentence.
Mr Armah was responding to questions regarding whether Madam Tamakloe could evade imprisonment due to her health condition. This follows reports that the former MASLOC Boss arrived in Ghana in a wheelchair, presenting the image of someone in poor health.
However, Mr Armah maintained that she would need to be examined by certified professionals to determine the true state and severity of her condition.
Speaking in an interview on
Nyankonton Mu Nsem on Rainbow Radio 87.5FM, he explained the legal parameters surrounding medical assessments and bail.
“For the medical examination, the only thing that can help her is when it is established that she is unfit and so may be granted bail.”
He stated, however, that it would be difficult for her to be granted any bail during her Court of Appeal case, considering how she left Ghana during her criminal trial.
“This woman had not demonstrated good character during her trial and so it would be difficult for the court to grant her bail. Several factors are considered before bail is granted, and so for someone who was granted bail, left for America, and refused to return, it will take an extraordinary circumstance for bail to be granted.”
According to him, while granting her bail remains at the discretion of the court, he does not believe it will be possible in this instance.
“One other thing we should consider is that although our prisons may not be in the best state, we have hospitals that can provide medical care for any convict while serving their sentence. If we are indeed serious about ensuring that she serves her term, we will do everything possible to ensure that she is sent to jail, whether sick or not.
We cannot compare our prisons to others such as America, however, you are aware that when criminals are arrested and they need medical care, they are sent to the hospital under strict security. If indeed she is sick, we should send her to the hospital and take care of her until she is well so she can continue to serve her term.”
Richard Nii Armah stressed that Ghanaian prisons currently hold convicts who are serving sentences with serious medical conditions, and Madam Sedinam Tamakloe should not be an exception.
“We have exceptional doctors in Ghana. We should send her to them to examine her. If she is unfit, we can also go to our prisons and conduct a review and find out if there are not convicts serving with more serious medical conditions than her, and yet they are serving.”
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana