For championing the tabling of the Non-Custodial Sentencing Bill in Parliament, the Executive Director of Crime Check Foundation (CCF), Ibrahim Oppong Kwarteng has asked government to name the law after late Ghanaian footballer, Christian Atsu Tswasam
The Non-Custodial Sentencing regime enables justice-delivering actors such as judges to punish petty offenders to pay a fine or undertake community service.
Mr. Kwarteng who is also the Ambassador Extraordinaire of Ghana Prisons says for his immense contribution to the bill, it should be named after him if passed into law.
“Christian Atsu has been supporting the prisons. He donates to them. He is a huge figure, a national asset so if the government passes the bill into law it can be named after him. Something like the Christian Atsu Non-Custodial Sentencing Law,” he proposed.
Christian Atsu has been the only Ghanaian footballer who had a passion for the prisons and was an advocate of the passage of the Non-Custodial Bill into law.
“It was on the heart of Christian Atsu to see the passage of the Non-Custodial Sentencing bill. He spoke at length on it. He was not happy with the non-classification of the prisons as petty offenders were in the same cell with hardened criminals,”
“His support gave birth to the initiative, CCF’s Petty Offenders project, and as such deserves to be honoured,” he said on Accra-based Original FM.
The footballer had partnered with Crime Check Foundation to pay fines for petty offenders and reintegrate ex-convicts.
According to Mr. Kwarteng, honouring Atsu would be a monumental legacy for generations unborn to spur them on.
“Through Atsu’s support, hundreds of petty offenders have been released contributing to prison decongestion”.
He further helped the reintegration of ex-convicts through business support.
Christian Atsu was affected by a twin quake that hit Turkey on February 6, 2023. He, together with the team manager were trapped under rubble for twelve days.
His remains arrived in Ghana on February 20, 2023.
Details about the final funeral rites are yet to be communicated.
