General News of Monday, 19 February 2018
Source: Myjoyonline.com
2018-02-19
The late Lily Donkor
The family of an Achimotan student who was shot dead by her colleague is urging the state to appeal a High Court decision which discharged the convict.
Lily Donkor’s family says the Accra High Court’s ruling is a travesty of justice.
An aunt of the deceased, Peggy Donkor told Joy News, the family of the juvenile, Mr and Mrs Anaman appear to have taken advantage of technicalities to set their son free.
The discharge of the convict has left the family pretty much in shock now as they were when Lily Donkor was shot.
The convict, Gerald Anaman was alleged to have accidentally shot the deceased person who had paid him a visit at his father’s residence. The incident happened in January 2017.
Master Anaman was subsequently convicted on the charge of manslaughter by a juvenile court and handed a three-year jail term.
However, on Monday, an Accra High Court set aside the judgment by the Juvenile court.
The High Court said there was a miscarriage of justice because the juvenile court delivered a verdict without waiting for a social enquiry report.
The jail term was imposed in September 2017 by a Juvenile court presided over by Bernardine S.A Senoo.
He found the SHS student guilty of manslaughter and sentenced him to three years imprisonment at a correctional Home.
But the latest ruling has left the Donkor family unhappy.
“Very soon, we will appeal since we still have our legal team from the Attorney General’s office…so we are looking up to the state to appeal for us,” Madam Donkor said.
She explained that since it is a criminal case, they cannot hire their own lawyer but will rely on the state.
According to her, the basis upon which the convict was freed was unacceptable. The Anaman family was reported to have pleaded with the court to give the suspect time to study for an examination. It went ahead to set him free on grounds of technicalities.
Commenting on the development, private legal practitioner, Martin Kpebu who has handled such cases in the past said the ruling was done to give the juvenile a second chance.
“He is free for now until the Donkor family decides to do otherwise,” he said.
He added that in a criminal case against a juvenile, the trial should start and end within six months.
“Beyond that the laws say the juvenile should be discharged,” Mr Kpebu added.