Ghana's homosexual debate to be tested in court

Following a report by the national daily, Daily Graphic newspaper that an NGO has registered over 8,000 gays largely young men from SHS in just the Western and Central regions of Ghana, hell broke loose. The identity of the NGO has never been known and the story has not been verified. However, it highlighted what many people all along suspected. Without doubt many people in Ghana believe that there are a number of homosexuals in Ghana. It is common knowledge, for example, that in our secondary schools many females are indulging in the act of homosexuality in the name of what is called supi or my dear. There are also rumours of powerful people in positions of trust in Ghana involve in the practice of homosexuality. Some of these powerful and influential people are indeed supposedly family men but that is largely a cover up. They are found in politics and some people have indeed pointed to Ambassadors, Ministers, members of Parliament, media men, among others. This has resurrected the issue of the position of the law on homosexuality in Ghana. Ghana is seen largely as a religious country with some 69% of the population professing to be Christians, 15% Muslims, and 8% practising African traditional religions according to the 2000 Population and Housing Census.

The current debate in Ghana regarding the existence of laws governing the practice or otherwise of gays and lesbians took a new twist on 21st October 2011 with the arrest of three suspected gay men by the Sakumono Police in Tema.With the arrest of 3 suspected gays by the Sakumono Police in Tema, all is now set for a legal battle to determine the legal standing of Ghana's criminal code on the issue of homosexuality. The ongoing debate as to whether homosexuality is a human right or individual, can't get any better but even richer. Let us all keep our fingers crossed  and await the outcome of this interesting legal minefield developing story. If, and I dare say if, the powers that be do not abruptly curtail this case before its logical conclusion, I pledge to update you on interesting and exciting angles as it keeps unfolding. Some legal experts and human rights activists have in recent past argued that Ghana's criminal code only prohibits 'unnatural carnal knowledge'. In their view, this law is unclear about the status of homosexuality since unnatural carnal knowledge per se does not refer to homosexuality specifically. According to them, homosexuality may not necessarily involve unnatural carnal knowledge hence cannot in all instances fall under the prohibition of the criminal code. Further more, proponents of this school of thought have advanced the question of human rights. A former Presidential Advisor on HIV/AIDS during the Kufuor reign, Professor Fred Sai was quoted as saying what people do in their bedrooms including suspected gays and lesbians is their own business. For him, unnatural carnal knowledge is superfluous and not practical to enforce as he felt any act(s) other than normal male and female sex using the known and accepted 'crevices' amounted to unnatural carnal knowledge.

Controversial Rev. Dr. Fred Deegbe; is he preaching the virtue but practising the vice?

On the other side of the fence, almost all the religious groups in Ghana have condemned the emergence of the practice. Recently, the General-Secretary of the Christian Council of Ghana, Rev. Dr. Fred Deegbe organised a press conference and declared their vehement opposition to the practice. He stated that God loves the sinner but hates sin and that the Council is not against gays and lesbians but detests the act of homosexuality since it is an abomination to the Lord. He further urged all Christians to vote against any politician who supports the practice of homosexuality. (Ironically, soon after his admonition to Christians, the Ghanaian Times reported that President Mills had condemned the practice at a thanksgiving service at the Sunyani Ebenezer Presbyterian Church after his re-nomination by the National Democratic congress. The Times was forced by the President to retract and apologise to him as he claimed he never condemned the practice. Rev. Dr. Fred Deegbe is a member of the Council of State advising the President. He has remained silent till date. Is Rev. Dr. Deegbe telling Christians to practise the virtue he preaches and not the vice he practises? How can he ask Christians to vote against politicians who support homosexuality while he works with a politician who for lack of appropriate description can be said to be neutral to the practice of homosexuality? Is Rev. Dr. Deegbe saying in Christianity we have lukewarm claimants?) Muslims and other faiths have similarly condemned the practice. In fact, just last week, the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Accra, Rev. Father Charles Palmer Buckle asked Ghanaians to condemn the act of homosexuality. He argued that people should not confused individual rights with human rights. In his view, homosexual practice is individual right since the practice does not enhance the good of any other persons other than those indulging in it. 

The political angle lately has assumed an international dimension following publication in the British press that the UK government may cut ODA to Ghana as result of pronouncement by the Western Regional Minister, Paul Evans Aidoo that people should report homosexuals. Thus with this arrest, it will be very interesting to see how the Attorney-General will behave in relation to this prosecution. From all accounts, there seems to be some amount of incriminating evidence against the three folks. I urge the media to follow this case. Let us if the homosexual advocates will jump to the aid of the suspects or will shy away. If they choose the latter option, will it be because these culprits are not among the big fishes or because they won't want to contest the state.

Please read the full report on the arrest by the Daily Guide newspaper below.  

Friday 21, October 2011

The Sakumono District Police station on Friday witnessed the Ghanaian version of the famous American TV programme ‘The Jerry Springer Show’, where guests openly fight others in the name of reclaiming their loved ones from snatchers, when three young men suspected to be gay openly expressed jealousy by castigating each other for partner-snatching.

Gay suspects: Inusah Issifu (left) and Kingsley Quansah (right)

The police, who were shocked at what transpired, quickly apprehended the three suspects without hesitation, as their several pleas to the senior police officers for pardon after their quarrels landed them in trouble.

Gay suspect: Samuel Lartey

The suspects were Inusah Issifu, 27, pork dealer, Samuel Lartey, a 19-year old student and Kingsley Quansah, a 25-year-old caterer.

Two other persons also believed to be gay and connected to the arrested persons were currently on the run. 

One was named Charles and the other Obolo. All three arrested persons were said to be residents of Tema.

Some of the items retrieved from them at the time of the arrest were water-based lubricant suspected to be used for penetration, petroleum jell, dressing mirror, tooth brush and paste and dresses among others.

Superintendent Alex C. Wowolo, who confirmed the incident to DAILY GUIDE, noted that on October 19, 2011, one of the arrested persons, Samuel, reported a case of unnatural carnal knowledge against Inusah and alleged that he suspected Inusah of lacing his drink with tranquilizers which made him fall asleep. 

He told the police that while he was asleep, he felt some heaviness on him and woke up only to see Inusah sodomizing him and even though he wanted to free himself, he could not because his assailant was too heavy for him to overpower.

The Commander stated that while investigations were underway about the alleged sodomy, Samuel, the complainant, was issued with Police Medical Report Form to attend hospital for examination and treatment, and later Inusah was arrested.

The police boss said that it came to light at some point of the investigations that the two were suspected homosexuals, adding that the case of sodomy was reported to cover up their true identities.

Superintendent Wowolo said Inusah and Samuel later admitted to being gay partners and pleaded with the police for mercy.

He said Inusah mentioned to the police that it was Kingsley who introduced Sammy to him as his (Kingsley’s) partner during police interrogation.

He said investigations revealed that Kingsley, who felt jilted and jealous, lured his ex-partner, Samuel, who was having rashes under his manhood and around his anus, to report a case of sodomy against Inusah, who was also suffering from the same disease. It was suspected that Inusah had infected Samuel with the disease.

A few minutes after the arrest of the two partners, Kingsley was said to have appeared at the police station to visit Samuel when he was also arrested. A search in his bag revealed some water-based lubricant, dresses, mirror, toothbrush and paste and condoms among others.

Superintendent Wowolo said the three suspects would be arraigned after investigations into the matter were concluded, adding that a search for the said Obolo and Charles was also on course.