Akuapem Poloo’s 90-day jail term reversed, fined GHC12,000

The popular Ghanaian actress, Akuapem Poloo, will no longer serve a 90-day jail term, having won an appeal on Wednesday (15 December). She will now pay a fine of GHC12, 000.

On 16 April, the social media personality, Rosemond Brown, was jailed for 90 days or three months by an Accra Circuit Court for the publication of nude pictures with her seven-year-old son.

This was after Akuapem Poloo pleaded guilty to three charges.

On Tuesday, 7 December 7 2021, her lawyers filed a notice of appeal at the Court of Appeal challenging the dismissal of her initial appeal by the High Court.

First Appeal

The High Court in Accra presided over by Justice Ruby Aryeetey on Monday 1 December 2021 dismissed the appeal filed by Akuapem Poloo challenging her 90 days custodial sentence.

The court while affirming the Circuit Court decision said, the punishment imposed was to cause much harm to the convict which will then become a deterrent to herself and others.

First judgement

On 16 April, Poloo was jailed for 90 days by an Accra Circuit Court. The court said it took into consideration all the pleas for mitigation before arriving at the decision.

Pregnancy test

Before her sentencing, the presiding judge confirmed that the actress was not pregnant after her test came out negative.

The pregnancy test ordered by the court is a requirement by law to ensure that, before a woman who pleaded guilty in court is sentenced, the court should know her status.

She was then remanded into custody for the prosecution to take her to any Government hospital to conduct the pregnancy test and produce the results.

Charges

The outspoken actress was charged with three counts of publication of obscene materials, engaging in domestic violence, conduct that in any way undermines another person’s privacy or integrity, and engaging in domestic violence namely conduct that in any way detracts or is likely to detract from another person’s dignity and worth as a human being.

Rosemond who had displayed her naked picture with her son on social media on June 30, 2020, earlier pleaded not guilty to all the charges.

Brief facts

Brief facts of the case presented to the court by the prosecution led by Chief Inspector Agartha Asantewaa were that the complainant is Bright K. Appiah, the Director of Child Rights International Ghana.

According to the prosecution, on June 30, 2020, the accused person celebrated her son’s seventh birthday and she took her nude pictures together with her son who was also half-naked and posted same on her Instagram page which went viral on social media.

She told the court that, the pictures attracted comments, adding that the behaviour of the accused person was likely to detract from the dignity of her seven-year-old son among others.
Chief Inspector Agartha told the court that the complainant petitioned the Director-General Criminal Investigation Directorate and the matter was referred to the Domestic Violence and Victims Support Unit.

Akuapem Poloo, she said was arrested and in her caution statement, admitted posting the nude picture with her son unintentionally.

But, the prosecution held that Rosemond had deliberately posted the nude picture together with her son.

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