Ghana’s justice system has come under sharp criticism following the acquittal of Yaw Asante Agyekum, who spent about 20 years in jail, eight of them on remand before being sentenced and later acquitted.
Agyekum, originally sentenced to 35 years in 2010 for his alleged association with notorious armed robber Ataa Ayi, was acquitted by the Court of Appeal on June 5, 2025, after a prolonged legal battle that exposed deep flaws in the judicial process.
George Bernard Shaw, Agyekum’s lawyer, described the ordeal as “inhumane,” citing a lack of digitized judicial systems and procedural inefficiencies as the primary reasons for the delay. Speaking on Channel One TV’s ‘The Point of View’, Shaw detailed the arduous journey to secure his client’s freedom, which included manually reconstructing court documents and navigating years of adjournments.
“When Asante Agyekum was convicted, the courts were not computerized. The movement of court dockets during the relocation to the current Court Complex complicated efforts to retrieve records,” Shaw explained. “It took me nearly five years just to gather the necessary documents because the court lacked the required records.”
Agyekum had been held on remand from 2002 to 2010 before his sentencing, a duration Shaw condemned as emblematic of the systemic failures in Ghana’s remand regime. “The remand regime is inhumane,” Shaw asserted, calling for urgent judicial reforms to prevent similar injustices.
The case also highlighted concerns over coerced testimony and the integrity of the original trial process. A review of the evidence by the Court of Appeal ultimately exonerated Agyekum, raising serious questions about the procedures that led to his conviction.
For Agyekum, the ruling brings long-overdue justice but at a steep cost years lost behind bars. His case has reignited calls for a digitized and efficient judicial system to safeguard the rights of accused persons and restore public confidence in Ghana’s legal framework.
While Ataa Ayi, who was sentenced to 160 years, remains in prison, Agyekum’s release stands as a sobering reminder of the human cost of judicial delays and inefficiencies.
