Supreme Court adjourns case of wrongfully jailed teacher

The Supreme Court of Ghana has adjourned the case of Eric Asante, the teacher who was wrongfully jailed 15 years for rape, to 16 May.

Mr Asante is in court seeking compensation from the state over the wrongful jail term handed down to him for allegedly defiling and impregnating a 14-year-old pupil.

His lawyer, Francis Xavier Sosu, filed a suit at the apex court asking it to award him GHS10,000 against the state. He is also asking the Ghana Education Service to reinstate him.

Accra News’ Ama Brako Ampofo who was in court reported that the Supreme Court adjourned the hearing to 16 May.

Eric Asante, a 40-year-old teacher, was absolved from the offence against him after fresh evidence exonerated him from wrongdoing.

A five-member Supreme Court panel presided over by Justice Anin Yeboah acquitted and discharged the former teacher on Thursday January 26 after DNA proved that the teacher was not the father of the baby that resulted after the alleged sexual act.

He was sentenced in 2005 by the Tamale High Court for defiling one Rubamatu Mohammed, then a 14-year-old pupil at the school Asante taught.

Mr Asante, who had an initial appeal rejected, proceeded to the Supreme Court in 2012 and the court ordered for a paternity test to be carried out.

The results, however, indicated that he was not the father of the child. The Supreme Court then asked Mr Asante to apply for compensation from the state.