Wontumi’s Case and Ghana’s ‘Comment Section Court’: When social media delivers justice first

Once upon a time in the Republic of Uncommon Sense, Chairman Wontumi went to court expecting to face one judge.

Poor man!

By the time he arrived, almost the whole country had already heard the case.

By the time the learned judge adjusted her robes and took her seat, millions of people across the Republic had already given their own verdicts.

Some were sitting in barbering shops. Others were at market stalls, trotro stations and offices where work had quietly taken the day off.

Many others were sitting comfortably on their sofas at home, smartphones in hand, giving their opinions with great confidence.

The Republic’s biggest courtroom, you see, is not in Accra.

It is called The Comment Section.

It is a wonderful institution.

It never adjourns. It never closes for lunch. It never runs out of judges.

Every citizen carries a small branch of this court in their pocket or handbag.

The requirements for becoming a judge are very simple: a smartphone, a data bundle and a strong belief that you understand the law better than the lawyers.

By the time the real court finally started sitting, our national courtroom had already finished its work.

One group had found Wontumi guilty.

Another group had declared him innocent.

A third group had already sentenced him.

A fourth group had declared him the greatest victim of democracy since the invention of the ballot box.

Appeals had been heard and decided before the registrar had even called the case.

Such speed deserves a national award.

Everyone Is a Professional Expert

One thing I admire about the Republic’s judges is their ability to do many different jobs.

Yesterday, they were football experts explaining why the Black Stars needed a new striker.

This morning, they became constitutional lawyers.

Tomorrow, they will become economists and explain why the cedi is misbehaving.

The Republic wastes no talent.

We are a nation of unlimited professional flexibility.

An old Akan proverb says, until the lion learns to write, every story glorifies the hunter.

In today’s Republic, the lion has finally learnt to write.

Unfortunately, so has every hunter, every goat, every squirrel and even the monkey passing through the forest.

By the time everyone has finished posting their version of events, nobody remembers what actually happened.

Evidence Comes Last

There is another strange feature of our national courtroom.

Evidence is treated like an invited guest who always arrives late.

Opinion, however, comes early.

It takes the front seat and even orders mineral water before the proceedings begin.

Someone forwards a WhatsApp voice note that starts with, “My brother works close to the investigators…”

Immediately, the voice note becomes Exhibit A.

Another person confidently announces that the entire matter was planned long ago.

Without the trouble of cross-examination, that claim quickly becomes Exhibit B.

Before long, someone else’s cousin knows somebody who attended a secret meeting.

Exhibit C is then admitted into evidence.

At that point, the case is effectively over.

Case closed.

Judgment delivered.

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When Justice Gets Political Colours

Poor Wontumi soon discovered that justice in the Republic has acquired political colours.

If a court decision supports your political side, the judiciary is brave, independent and a shining example of democracy.

But if the next decision goes against your side, the same judiciary suddenly becomes compromised, captured and badly in need of reform.

Justice has become like a football referee.

The same whistle that sounds perfectly fair to the winning team suddenly becomes proof of a conspiracy to the losing team.

Our politics now works in much the same way.

A judgment is considered independent only when it agrees with our own opinion.

Perhaps that is why we no longer begin by asking, What does the law say?

Instead, we first ask, Who is involved?

Once we know the answer, our legal opinion is formed automatically.

Facebook Finishes the Trial

Imagine a visitor arriving in Ghana this week and asking:

“Excuse me, where is the court hearing the Wontumi case?”

A helpful Ghanaian would probably smile and say:

“You’re late. Facebook finished the trial this morning. WhatsApp handled the appeal this afternoon, and X is currently hearing a review application.”

The visitor would naturally ask:

“Then what is the High Court doing?”

Catching up.

Even the Grass Has Taken Sides

Our elders also say that when two elephants fight, it is the grass that suffers.

But in today’s Republic, even the grass has taken sides.

Half of the grass insists that the first elephant is innocent.

The other half is convinced that the second elephant has destroyed the entire forest.

Meanwhile, the truth is sitting quietly under a tree, wondering whether anyone still remembers that it was invited to the meeting.

The Court That Never Closes

Chairman Wontumi’s case will eventually come to an end.

Another politician, celebrity or public official will take his place.

The hashtags will change.

The profile pictures will change.

The arguments will change.

But one thing will remain exactly the same.

The Republic’s Biggest Courtroom will still be sitting.

And long before the first witness is sworn in, millions of judges armed with smartphones, data bundles and absolute certainty will once again remind us that, in the Republic of Uncommon Sense, justice no longer waits for the court.

It waits for the Comment Section.

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Jimmy Aglah

#Wontumi #RuleOfLaw