Cecilia Koranteng-Addow

Ghanaian barrister den judge (1936-1982)

Cecilia Koranteng-Addow (née Gaisie, dem born am 24 May 1936 – she die 30 June 1982) na she be High court judge for Ghana from 1975 til ein abduction den murder for 30 June 1982, for de second military rule of Jerry Rawlings.[1][2]

Cecilia Koranteng-Addow
human
Ein sex anaa genderfemale Edit
Country wey e be citizenGhana Edit
Name wey dem give amCecilia Edit
Family nameKoranteng Edit
Ein date of birth24 May 1936 Edit
Place dem born amAssin Nsuta Edit
Date wey edie30 June 1982 Edit
Place wey edieAccra Edit
Manner of deathhomicide Edit
Cause of deathassassination Edit
SpouseNicholas Liverpool, Gustav Koranteng-Addow Edit
Languages edey speak, rep anaa signEnglish Edit
Ein occupationjudge, barrister Edit
Position eholdHigh Court judge of Ghana Edit
Educate forOur Lady of Apostles College of Education, Holy Child High School, Ghana, University of Hull, Lincoln's Inn Edit

Ein early life den education

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Dem born Cecilia Afran Gaisie for Assin Nsuta wey dey Gold Coast (wey now ebi Ghana) for 1936 insyd[1] wey ebi Philip Afran Gaisie wey be businessman den Mary Adwoa Kwansaa Boafo wey be housewife den one of Cecilia ein poppy ein six wives wey born am. She dey belong de Royal Asenie family of Adansi Medoma.

Cecilia attend primary school for Roman Catholic School wey dey Assin Anyinabrim, den Assin Edubiase Methodist School wey dey near Assin Nsuta. She san go secondary school wey dey nearby Cape Coast, she first attend middle school for Our Lady of Apostles (OLA) College of Education wey she later complete ein secondary education for Holy Child High School.[2] For 1959 insyd, Cecilia move go United Kingdom dat bi wer she study LLB law for de University of Hull. She bell am cam de bar for Lincoln's Inn wey dey London for 1963 insyd.[2]

Ein Career

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Afta say she complete ein tertiary education for UK, Cecilia return go Ghana for 1964 insyd wey she start dey work as lawyer for de private legal practice of Opoku Acheampong den Company insyd. De Ghanaian Judicial Service eventually recruit am as magistrate. Afta say she work for several years as judge for Ghana ein district court den circuit court, Dem appoint Cecilia as sam High Court judge for 1975 insyd, sam position wey she hold till ein death for 1982 insyd.[2]

For 1980 insyd, Cecilia rule for sam businessman be wey ein name be Mr Shackleford ein favour, wey dem detain am for de 1979 revolution tym insyd wey Jerry Rawlings lead am.[3] Cecilia hold say no justification dey give de detention wey she direct ein release. Na Cecilia be de first judge wey question de transitional provisions of de Armed Forces Revolutionary Council (AFRC) wey dem insert for de 1979 constitution insyd wey she set free sam AFRC convict. She san decide sam case wey na edey involve de rioting workers of Ghana Industrial Holding Corporation (GIHOC) wey attack parliament for Ghana ein Third Republic insyd.[1] Joachim Amartey Quaye, one of de leaders of de rioting workers, subsequently cam turn sam member of Rawlings’ Provisional National Defence Council (PNDC), wey na ebi de ruling party for de tym of Cecilia ein murder insyd for 1982 insyd. Dem later try Amartey Quaye wey dem convict am secof ein role for Cecilia ein murder insyd.[3][4]

Ein life matter

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Na Cecilia ein first husby be Nicholas Liverpool, wey he go serve as de sixth president of Dominica from 2003 come 2012. Cecilia den Nicholas meet during dema studies for de University of Hull wey dem marry for 1963 insyd. Dem get four kiddies togeda. For 1969 insyd, dem divorce, wey for 1974 insyd, Cecilia marry Gustav Koranteng-Addow, judge wey serve as Attorney General of Ghana from 1975 come 1979. Cecilia den Gustav meet thru work wey dem remain married til Cecilia ein death insyd 1982. Dem no get kiddies togeda.

Ein Death den Legacy

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Dem abduct den murder Cecilia low key for 30 June 1982 insyd, along plus two oda Supreme Court justices, Frederick Poku Sarkodee den Kwadjo Adgyei Agyepong, den sam retired army officer, Sam Acquah, for de second military rule of Rawlings insyd.[3][4] Rawlings ousted President Hilla Limann for sam coup d’etat insyd for 31 December 1981 insyd. De murders take place for Bundase military shooting range wey dey Accra Plains for de hours of sam night tym curfew insyd. Dem discover dema charred bodies for de same location insyd de following day. As dem dey follow intense pressure wey dey Rawlings den de PNDC top, de government form sam Special Investigation Board so say dem go investigate de murders. For 1992 insyd, De Independent report findings of de Special Investigation Board dema inquiry for Ghana insyd, wey talk say e recommend de prosecution of 10 people for de murders, wey dey include Ghana ein head of national security for Kojo Tsikata ein tym insyd. Tsikata, wey na he be Rawlings ein right hand man, file sam defamation lawsuit against De Independent for 26 March 1993 insyd, wey he agree say he go drop afta say De Independent publish sam correction statement for September 1998 insyd, wey dem clarify say dem no sheda say dem go suggest say na Tsikata be guilty of de crimes.[5][6] Dem accuse Lance Corporal Amedeka, Michael Senyah, Tekpor Hekli, Johnny Dzandu den Joachim Amartey Quaye for de murders insyd for 1983 insyd. For June 1983 insyd, before dem complete de trial, Amedeka escape from de Nsawam den Ussher Fort prisons wer na dem dey wey he lef Ghana. Dem find Senya, Hekli, Dzandu den Amartey Quaye as guilty of murder, wey dem sentence dem plus death wey firing squad kill dem.[3][4]

Dem dey kai Cecilia den de oda two justices wey dem kill for sam annual judicial service for de anniversary of dema deaths, wey dem dey bell am Martyrs Day, for Ghana insyd.[7] De Memorial give de Martyrs of de Rule of Law, wey dey include statues of all three justices wey dem kill, dey de Supreme Court of Ghana dema buildings ein front today.[8]

Ein childhood friend Josephine van Lare den two of ein kiddies, Philip Liverpool den Nana Ama Brantuo (née Liverpool) form de Esi Afran Foundation for Cecilia ein memory insyd for 2011 insyd, plus de goal say dem go improve de lives of young women through education den training. De foundation currently dey provide financial support den advice give oda organisations wey dey focus for education top so say ego improve de standard of education for Ghana insyd.[2]

References

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  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 "Video". www.youtube.com. Retrieved 2020-06-25.
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 "Home | Ghana | Esi Afran Foundation". esiafran.
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 "Blast from the past: How the 'murdered Justice' set an innocent man free". April 9, 2020.
  4. 4.0 4.1 4.2 "Paizo / Press". paizo.com. 2020-06-15. Retrieved 2020-06-25.
  5. "Judge rules murder case report was privileged: Security chief loses". The Independent. October 29, 1994.
  6. "Correction: Captain Kojo Tsikata". The Independent. September 29, 1998.
  7. "GBA remembers three murdered High Court justices". Graphic Online.
  8. "Against background of "judicial martyrs to the rule of law", Ghana's top court considers political interference in judicial independence | African Legal Information Institute". africanlii.org.