Mike Oquaye pays fine to release heavily pregnant woman from prison
25th July 2018
Speaker of the Parliament of Ghana, Rt. Hon. Prof. Aaron Mike Oquaye has given a helping hand to a 5-month pregnant woman by paying a fine to release her from the prisons.
This kind gesture comes after a charity organisation, Crime Check Foundation shared a story on social media about Akosua Sarfowaa who had been sentenced to serve a two year jail term at the Nsawam Female Prisons.
Mike Ocquaye who for days after the story was shared was touched and quickly dispatched his aid to the Suhum Circuit Court to pay Akosua's fine.
Prof Oquaye however expressed concern about some gaping holes in the country's laws which have contributed to many people serving various jail terms instead of committing them to community sentences.
He promised Parliament will quicken the passage of the Non-Custodial Sentencing Bill into law to save poor and vulnerable ones like Akosua and the many others from going to prison.
''Why should a pregnant woman and her unborn child be committed to prison sentence when other alternatives could be explored to save the situation?'', he queried.
Akosua Safowaa has since been re-united with her family.