Legal practitioner George Bernard Shaw has spoken passionately about his lifelong commitment to justice following the release of his client, Yaw Asante Agyekum, who was wrongfully imprisoned for 23 years.
Agyekum, a mechanic, was convicted in 2002 and sentenced to 35 years in prison for his alleged involvement with notorious armed robber Raymond Aryee-Ayitey, popularly known as “Ataa Ayi.” However, on June 5, 2025, the Court of Appeal overturned the conviction, acquitting and discharging Agyekum after finding the evidence against him grossly insufficient.
The three-member panel, led by Justice Janapare A. Bartels-Kodwo, ruled that Agyekum’s implication in the robbery appeared to be a case of wrongful association—possibly due to the actions of other accused persons.
The judgment, read by Justice Aboagye Tandoh, acknowledged that Agyekum was a likely victim of circumstance and noted the difficulty he faced in proving his innocence.
The court cited the proverb, “Show me your friend, and I will show you your character,” highlighting the unjust assumptions made against him.
Speaking after the ruling, George Bernard Shaw described the verdict as “orgasmic,” capturing the emotional weight of securing justice for a man imprisoned since age 24. Now 47, Agyekum walks free for the first time in over two decades.
In an interview with Naa Dedei on Morning Starr, Shaw reflected on his motivation, rooted in years of witnessing miscarriages of justice.
“Because like I told you, I’ve seen a lot of miscarriages of justice right from when I started training in the chambers in England, and the Guildford for the Birmingham Six, where people have been incarcerated for no wrong that they did.”
Shaw underscored his commitment to legal advocacy aimed at exposing and correcting systemic failures in the justice system.
Comparing prison conditions in Ghana to those abroad, Shaw emphasized the severity of injustice when innocent people are subjected to inhumane treatment.
He said, “And knowing the conditions in prison, because in England, it’s very cool. I mean, it’s a five-star. Five stars compared to what they have here. And if people have to go through that, especially if they haven’t committed the offense. So I see it as a lifelong vocation to be championing those causes.”
Source: Ghana/Starrfm.com.gh/Hamdia Mohammed
