A Ghanaian man, Yaw Appiah, has been awarded GH¢800,000 in compensation by the Supreme Court of Ghana after being wrongfully convicted and spending nearly 19 years in prison.
According to a report by Starrfm.com.gh on Monday, April 27, 2026, Appiah was acquitted and discharged by the Court of Appeal in 2025 after serving a lengthy sentence for a crime he did not commit.
He was convicted in 2011 and sentenced to 45 years’ imprisonment for robbery at the age of 29. Prior to his conviction, he had already spent five years in remand following his arrest in 2006.
In total, he spent close to two decades at the Nsawam Prison until the Court of Appeal overturned the conviction, describing it as a “tragedy” and clearing him of all charges.
Following his acquittal, his lawyers, Augustine Obour and Claudia Coleman, filed an application at the Supreme Court seeking GH¢2,020,800 in compensation.
However, the prosecution, led by Principal State Attorney Nana Adoma Osei, argued for a significantly lower amount, proposing between GH¢75,000 and GH¢100,000.
A five-member panel of the Supreme Court, presided over by Avril Lovelace-Johnson, awarded GH¢800,000, relying on the legal precedent established in the Dodzi Sabbah case.
Other members of the panel included Henrietta Mensa-Bonsu, Samuel Asiedu, Yaw Darko Asare, and Kweku Tawiah Ackaah-Boafo.
The ruling was delivered on February 10, 2026, under Article 14(5) and (7) of the 1992 Constitution, which provides for compensation in cases of unlawful arrest, detention, or wrongful conviction.
