After spending four years and seven months behind bars for a conviction that was later overturned, 67-year-old food vendor Ama Forson has received GH¢20,000 in support to help her rebuild her life.
Forson was sentenced to 11 years in prison for possessing narcotic drugs, but the Accra High Court has since acquitted and discharged her, bringing an end to years of imprisonment over the case.
Her release was secured through the POS Foundation’s In-Prison Paralegal Programme, an initiative that equips inmates with knowledge of legal procedures and helps them identify irregularities in their cases and pursue appeals where they believe a miscarriage of justice has occurred.
The programme is designed to improve access to justice for prisoners, particularly vulnerable inmates and those on remand who may not have the financial means to secure legal representation.
Speaking at the premiere of a documentary, The Untold Story of Ama Forson, at the Law Court Complex in Accra, Executive Director of the POS Foundation Jonathan Osei Owusu said the programme had demonstrated how legal support could give hope to people who might otherwise struggle to challenge their convictions.
He said the foundation’s work goes beyond highlighting weaknesses in the justice system, with a focus on developing practical solutions to ensure that poor and marginalised people can also obtain justice.
Owusu expressed appreciation to the governments of Ghana, the United States and Canada for their continued support for the programme.
The Acting Deputy Chief of Mission at the United States Embassy, Virginia Elliot, also outlined efforts by the US Government to strengthen Ghana’s justice system.
She said the US was supporting training for prosecutors and lawyers on the Case Tracking System, aimed at improving the monitoring and management of criminal cases.
Elliot said the US Embassy, through the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs, was proud to support the In-Prison Paralegal Programme alongside the Judiciary, the Ghana Prisons Service and the POS Foundation to safeguard the rights of vulnerable accused persons.
She further disclosed that the embassy was supporting the Ghana Legal Aid Commission in establishing the country’s first Public Defenders Office.
As Forson begins life outside prison, Chief Executive Officer of KAB FAM Ghana Limited Charles Antwi Boahen presented her with GH¢20,000 to help her start a business.
He also pledged to provide her with electrical appliances and support the education of her son, offering additional assistance as she works to rebuild her life after years behind bars.
