Lawyer and Coordinator of Eco-Conscious Citizens, Awula Serwah, is not happy at all with government’s latest move to deport foreigners involved in criminal activities in Ghana instead of prosecuting them.
Speaking on UTV monitored by MyNewsGh, she didn’t mince words in calling out the decision, describing it as unfair and a clear disrespect to Ghana’s justice system.
“How can you deport people destroying our environment without even prosecuting them? It doesn’t make sense,” she fumed.
Her comments come after the Minister for the Interior, Mohammed Mubarak Muntaka, during his recent visit to the Ashanti Region, revealed that foreigners arrested for illegal mining, logging, and other crimes in Ghana’s forests would be deported after investigations.
But for Awula Serwah, that’s simply not good enough.
“If a Ghanaian engages in galamsey or cyber fraud, don’t we prosecute them here? So why should a foreigner be treated differently? Where is the justice in that?” she questioned.
She insisted that deportation without prosecution sends a wrong signal and could even embolden more foreigners to come in and misbehave, knowing there won’t be any real punishment.
“This is about rule of law. We can’t have two systems of justice – one for Ghanaians and one for foreigners. It’s unacceptable,” she stressed.
Awula Serwah is urging the government to rethink this approach and rather strengthen the country’s legal processes to deal with all criminals — regardless of their nationality.
“If you commit a crime here, you should face the law here. Period!” she added firmly.
