A 37-year-old Nigerian scammer who has been on remand at the Nsawam medium security prison since December 2019, has been discharged as part of the ‘Justice For All’ programme.
Christopher Kester was among 12 pre-trial inmates at the penitentiary who had been left to languish in prison unjustifiably for years without trial.
He was charged with the offence of murder.
While narrating the circumstances that landed him in prison to the High Court judge, Justice Lydia Osei Marfo on Wednesday, Christopher Kester said he relocated to Ghana on the advice of a friend who “deceived” him to join his scamming business.
According to the accused person, he succeeded in defrauding a lady. However, during the sharing of the loot which was supposed to be 60/40 with his host keeping the lion’s share, his friend out of greed insisted on keeping 70% of the loot.
That decision, according to Kester, forced him to pack out of the house in anger.
He further narrated to the court that he hired the services of a sex worker that night but unfortunately, the lady died after satisfying him in bed.
Subsequently, he was arrested and put on remand at the Nsawam medium security prison.
The trial judge, Justice Lydia Osei Marfo who granted the clemency to the 37-year-old, warned the accused person to desist from scamming people.
The judge also expressed her displeasure with Kester’s motive for relocating to Ghana and said she would have denied him the liberty he was eventually granted if not for the delay in procuring an advice from the Attorney General’s office for the case to move forward.
Speaking with JoyNews’ Legal Affairs Correspondent at the Nsawam medium security prison, the 37-year-old convict said the prison experience has been transformational.
When asked what his next move is, the Nigerian said he has no plans of returning home as he intends to stay in Ghana a little longer.
Christopher Kester was among 22 pre-trial inmates at the Nsawam medium security prison who had their liberties reinstated on Wednesday through the Justice For All programme.