Selormey Cries From Prison

Jailed former Deputy Finance Minister Mr. Victor Selormey has made a passionate appeal to the media to be circumspect about the way it reports court proceedings.

Selormey told three senior journalists, Mawuko Zormelo, editor of The Network Herald, Egbert Faibille Jnr, Managing Editor of The Independent and Asare Otchere-Darko, Editor-in-Chief of The Statesman at the Nsawam Medium Security Prisons that he has been very hurt by media reportage of his trials.

The three senior media personnel paid a private visit to the jailed Ministers last Thursday to spend some time with them. However, at the end of the 45-minute chat we had with them, it became evident that the visit could no longer be 'private.'

Selormey also talked about the fact that after journalists have sat through proceedings in court, they go and change the facts and proceedings to the detriment of accused persons.

"There have been times when I have met lawyers who tell me that "charley, your case is bad" and when you ask them why they think so, they tell you "I read it in the papers" and when I tell them what actually happened in court, they say "oh! Why are the journalists doing that? It is not fair."

Selormey cited a recent instance during the hearing of a case in which he is involved when a newspaper reported that he Selormey had told the court that he transferred money to someone without authority, when he had in actual fact told the court that he did so under authority. "Such things hurt badly and go to dampen our spirits and the media must correct these things."

Selormey also criticised the Government for being unfair with the mode of investigations into the cases that have seen he and some of his colleagues in jail. He said the constitutional provisions regarding Parliament and the Auditor General provide that the offences in the public services for which some of them are serving time, should be thoroughly audited by the Auditor General and forwarded to Parliament for their comments and decision whether they are indictable or not.

"This Government has not acted fairly with some of us. When we raise these issues we are told that there is nothing wrong with the approach they have used. It is not fair at all," Mr. Selormey said.

Selormey also complained about selective leaks by the Police to the media. "When you are called to the Police Headquarters or wherever for any alleged offence, the next thing you hear or see is a media report on that encounter but they never tell the media what you said in explanation and all these go to prepare the public's mind against you and the fact that you must be found guilty at all cost," he said.

Former Finance Minister Kwame Peprah and former Food and Agriculture Minister Ibrahim Adam also talked about their pain and the treatment they have received both from Government and Prison authorities since they went behind the slammer Mr. Selormey who looked fit alongside Kwame Peprah and Ibrahim Adam said "Osafo Sampong (Director of Public Prosecutions) never said in court that I had stolen any money, yet it was all over the place that I had stolen money."

Selormey, who talked with a lot of passion and a sometimes forlorn look in his eyes said he was not happy when after he had been sentenced by the Fast Track Court that heard his case, some members of the public who witnessed his journey to prison started shouting "ewio, ewio"(thief, thief).

"I was not charged with stealing and that shoud be made clear," Mr. Selormey said. He told this reporter in response to a comment that all the three of them (Selormey, Peprah and Adam) were looking good that "It is not as you say. We are very hurt inside and are undergoing a lot of. It is not easy at all."

Kwame Peprah, ever his bashful self also chipped in to say that "To the contrary, it is not as you think. We have to do exercises to get tuned to where we are. There is a lot of pain here."

Peprah complained about the food at Nsawam Prison and said he had not eaten since 8 a.m. that morning because the Director of Prisons and his Deputies came to the prison for a meeting that day. "My food has been waiting outside since morning and I am sure you also had to wait (we waited for almost two hours before we were cleared to enter the prison). My food just came in with you," he said.

Peprah also said in response to a question this reporter asked that "You cannot talk about sanitary facilities here. The least said about it the better."

Peprah said when he compared the judgment of the Quality Grain trial to the record of proceedings at the trial, he feels that there was injustice. "We all have copies of our various judgments with us here and we have been reading them," Peprah said.

Selormey also seized the opportunity to talk about water at the Prisons. "When I came here (19 months, one week as of last Thursday), I used to drink the mini Voltic bottles so they now call it 'Selormey' here. We have a borehole here which is not bad in itself but the water begins to bubble after a few hours when stored."

Selormey said it was initially painful when he went in but now that he has some of his colleagues (and he stressed that he is not happy that they have come to join him) he has some company. "At least we eat together and share experiences and that has helped a great deal. Initially, it was terrible."

Ibrahim Adam lamented the fact that Nsawam Prisons, which is supposed to be a 'hotel' as compared to all the other prisons in the country, does not have basic things like drugs. "Kwame Peprah had to donate some drugs to the Clinic. We do not even have common painkillers, he said.

Peprah drew attention to the fact that Nsawam Prisons has quite a good clinic with a theatre but it cannot function because not enough provision is made for it and the welfare of the prisoners.