Yaw Appiah, a businessman who was wrongfully imprisoned for 19 years, has recounted the harrowing ordeal he endured before the Court of Appeal acquitted and discharged him.
His conviction, based on misinterpreted evidence and circumstantial claims, led to nearly two decades of suffering behind bars.
Speaking about his painful experience in an interview with GhOne TV, monitored by MyNewsGh.com, Appiah could not hold back his tears as he described the hardship he faced while in prison.
“I have gone through immense hardship. At age 29, I was arrested and incarcerated. I was very young then; I didn’t have it easy. My heart was filled with sadness. I could cry throughout the night because I was very innocent. I had trust in God that He would fight for me, so I should be patient,” he said, breaking down in tears.
A Wrongful Conviction
Yaw Appiah was convicted and sentenced to 45 years in prison after being accused of involvement in a 2006 robbery in Teshie-Nungua.
The victims, Richard Kwakye, his wife Theresa Kwakye, and their children, were returning home after seeing off a relative at the airport when they were attacked by armed robbers.
The assailants stole mobile phones and cash in both cedi and dollar denominations.
Prosecutors alleged that they tracked some of the stolen phones, leading them to Yaw Appiah and others in Accra.
Based on circumstantial evidence and claims made by co-accused individuals, the High Court found Appiah guilty and sentenced him to prison in June 2011.
Appeal and Acquittal
After years of legal battles, Appiah’s lawyers successfully sought permission to challenge the conviction, arguing that there was no concrete evidence linking him to the crime.
They pointed out that none of the robbery victims had identified him as one of the attackers.
Additionally, court records showed that Appiah had pleaded not guilty during his trial, contrary to the trial judge’s assertion that he had pleaded guilty. This fundamental error denied him the right to a full trial.
State prosecutors later admitted that there was insufficient evidence against him and that the trial judge had misinterpreted key details in the case. They acknowledged that the alleged confession by a co-accused person should not have been used as evidence against Appiah.
In its ruling, the Court of Appeal found that there was no basis for his conviction. The court stated that the trial judge had failed to properly assess the evidence, leading to an unjust sentence.
“The trial judge completely misapprehended the evidence presented by the prosecution. Had proper attention been paid to the evidence led by the appellant, he would not have been required to open his defense,” the court ruled.
Freedom After 19 Years
After spending 19 years in prison for a crime he did not commit, Appiah has finally regained his freedom. The Court of Appeal set aside his conviction and sentence, describing his prolonged incarceration as a miscarriage of justice.
While relieved to be free, Appiah laments the years he lost behind bars, expressing hope that no one else will suffer the same fate.
“I have missed so much. I have suffered. But I thank God that the truth has finally come out,” he said.
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