UK-based lawyer fights for Mahama gunman

The case in which an assassination attempt was made on President John Mahama has assumed international dimension, as a UK-trained Ghanaian international lawyer Godwin Adjei-Gyamfi has petitioned Amnesty International-UK over the matter.

In the plea, Adjei-Gymafi described the sentencing of Charles Antwi, the 36-year-old man who was caught with a fully loaded gun at the church of President John Mahama as diabolical and absurd. .

Below are details of the petition to Amnesty International

Details Amnesty International UK Human Rights Action Centre 17-25 New Inn Yard London 3EA Dear Sir, Re: Convict Charles Antwi.

It does not give me pleasure to have to bring to your attention diabolical, gross abuse of process, miscarriage of justice and breach of fundamental human rights of the above-named person.

The detail is that the above named, on the 26th July 2015 entered a church attended by the President of the Republic of Ghana with a locally manufactured gun. The above named was arrested and appeared in Accra court on Tuesday 28th July 2015 without a lawyer.

According to and judging from what the convict was saying in court that he, “wanted to kill the president and take over,” suggest the above named was severely mentally challenged, ought to have been granted a lawyer and immediately referred for psychiatric evaluation. He was instead sentenced on the spot to 10 years imprisonment.

This is most absurd and diabolical as he is mentally unwell, was unrepresented by a lawyer and the maximum sentence on the statute books of the Republic of Ghana is 5 years.

I would be most grateful if you would please look in to the above absurdity as The Republic of Ghana has become a land where the strong and rich enjoy justice and the poor is forgotten.

Godwin Adjei-Gyamfi Solicitor & Barrister-at-Law.