Poor Ghanaians are being jailed because they cannot afford justice – Crime Check Foundation

Poor Ghanaians are being jailed because they cannot afford justice – Crime Check Foundation

The Executive Director of the Crime Check Foundation, Ibrahim Oppong Kwarteng, has criticised Ghana’s justice system, arguing that poverty is contributing to the imprisonment of people who cannot afford fines or adequate legal representation. “What we see at times is not justice. What we see is poverty on trial,” he said, recounting cases encountered by his organisation during more than a decade of work in Ghana’s prisons. Mr Kwarteng made the remarks at an event following a tour of prison establishments across the country, where he highlighted cases he believes expose inequalities in access to justice. “For over 10 years, Crime Check Foundation has worked in Ghana’s 49 prison establishments. And what we see at times is not justice. What we see is poverty on trial,” he said.