Teacher who was wrongfully jailed demands GH¢10 million for damages

A 40-year-old Ghanaian teacher who was jailed 15-years for a crime he never committed is demanding GH¢10 million in damages. The teacher identified as Eric Asante was wrongfully handed a 15-year-old jail sentence for allegedly defiling a 14-year-old school pupil. He was sentenced in 2005 by the Tamale High Court for defiling one Rubamatu Mohammed, then a 14-year-old pupil at the school Asante taught.

After several appeals to the High Court, he proceeded to the Supreme Court in 2012 and the court ordered for the paternity test to be carried out after serving 12 years in jail.

However, a five-member Supreme Court panel presided over by Justice Anin Yeboah acquitted and discharged the former teacher on Thursday, January 26, 2017, after DNA proved that the teacher was not the father of the baby that resulted from the alleged sexual act.

According to Ghana Web,  the victim through his lawyer, Francis Xavier Sosu is demanding GH¢10 million damages.