John Paintsil Okays Jailing of 64-Year-old Man

…Who Slept In His Abandoned House

Mr. John Paintsil, a former defender of the senior national team, the Black Stars, has endorsed the incarceration of a 64-year-old man, Isaac Odoom, who, together with his friend, sneaked into the footballer’s abandoned house to pass a night at Ajumako Besease in the Central Region.

Even though Mr. Paintsil insists, he had no role in the arrest or imprisonment of the poor old-man, he justified it that the convict entered his property “without my authorization through a window.”

He also insisted that the convict and his friend had stayed in the apartment for three days, contrary to the narration by the 64-year-old that they spent only a night in the house.

According to the former Ghanaian international, in a statement, his caretaker of the house only took the necessary action to protect his property and well-being.

“Some people unlawfully entered my property at Besease without my authorization through a window.  These people stayed in the apartment for three days, sleeping on a mattress bought by my caretaker and subsequently stole it. Thankfully, my caretaker discovered these individuals and took the necessary action to protect my property and well-being,” he stated.

It would be recalled that Isaac Odoom was accused of unlawfully breaking into Mr.Paintsil’s abandoned house through the window, after he and a friend had traveled to the community to burn charcoal, but did not have a place to lay their head when night came.

They were also accused of stealing a mattress, even though Mr. Odoom insists there was no mattress in the room at the time they came to spend the night and, thus, slept on bare floor.

But the 64-year-old man, after the trial, was found guilty and fined GH₵1, 440 for trespassing and unlawful entry, but he could not pay to escape the imprisonment.

John Paintsil, following the backlash and condemnation that greeted the story, said the prosecution and the 12 months’ jail sentence handed the charcoal burner by the Ajumako Magistrate Court, were done without his involvement or influence.

Initially, many had thought that it was possible the former national team player was unaware of the incident, that such an old person could be thrown into jail for merely entering a house to sleep.

Subsequent publication by The Anchor has had some Ghanaians, including those abroad, expressing the desire to settle the fine.

According to Crime Check Ghana, a Sweden-based Ghanaian footballer. Emmanuel Boateng, settled the GH₵1, 440 fine covering the charges of trespassing and unlawful entry, to free the old man from the Winneba Local Prison.

Below Is Published, The Full Statement By John Paintsil:

Dear Friends and loved ones,

I hope this message finds you well. Recently, there have been false accusations circulating on social media regarding an incident involving a 64-year-old man and myself. I want to take this opportunity to clarify the situation and provide the facts.

Some people unlawfully entered my property at Besease without my authorization through a window.

These people stayed in the apartment for three days, sleeping on a mattress bought by my caretaker and subsequently stole it. Thankfully, my caretaker discovered these individuals and took the necessary action to protect my property and well-being.

It is important to note that I had no involvement in the subsequent legal proceedings. The decision to arrest and sentence the individual rests solely with the authorities and the judiciary system.

I had no authority to determine the length of the sentence, as that falls under the jurisdiction of the judge and the legal process. I am deeply saddened by these false accusations and the impact they can have on my reputation.

What makes this situation even more unfortunate is that Mr. Ibrahim Oppong Kwarteng (the founder of Crime Check Foundation) who brought attention to this incident did not reach out to listen to my side of the story before publishing it online.

It is disheartening that the truth was not sought before spreading misinformation.

It is my belief that the Mr. Ibrahim Oppong Kwarteng in question may have a personal issue with me, as evident by his intention to tarnish my image by using my name as the caption. It’s worth noting that the headline could have been «Emmanuel Boateng bails a 64-year-old man » since Emmanuel played a pivotal role in bailing the 64-year-old man out of prison.”

I want to assure you all that I had no role in the arrest or imprisonment of this individual. I believe in the importance of due process and respecting the legal system. I value honesty and integrity, and I want to thank all of you who have reached out with messages of support during this challenging time.

If you have any further questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to reach out tome directly. Your continued understanding and support mean a great deal to me. Sincerely.

The story of Isaac Odoom topped conversations this week after he was jailed 12 months for sleeping in the said abandoned house belonging to the former player. According to Odoom, he had traveled to Besease to burn charcoal but was stranded when night fell. He was assisted by a friend who said he was taking him to his house to pass the night.

Unfortunately, he was misled by this friend as he took him to Paintsil house throw a sliding window. Days after he left the community, Odoom said, he had information he was being searched for unlawfully sleeping in the said house and stealing a mattress.

He was subsequently arrested and charged with unlawful entry, trespassing and stealing. He said he was later jailed on his own plea of the first two charges and fined GHc1, 440 which he could not afford.

Source:Anchorghana.com