Jailbird
Episode 73
GTV MID-DAY BULLETIN
NEWSCASTER
The Chris Bawa rape trial came to a dramatic conclusion this morning at the Accra High Court. It has left many wondering about our justice system and questioning whether sometimes the wrong people end up in jail. Our Legal Reporter, Ledi Pedi, reports.
The picture changes to the chaotic scenes at the High Court as an ambulance is seen speeding off with a great crowd staring after it.
The face of Mr. Ledi Pedi appears on the screen.
LEDI PEDI
That is the ambulance rushing Mr. Chris Bawa and his heroic eight-year-old son, Chris Bawa Junior, to the hospital, ending a case that has left a sour taste in the mouth of many a Ghanaian. It would be recalled that Mr. Chris Bawa, owner of the latest restaurant, JUNIOR’S, and current Grandmaster Champion of GojuFist, was accused of brutally raping Miss Baaba Brooks, a prisons officer. Mr. Bawa, who also served a prison term for various crimes but was released on a Presidential Pardon after serving half of his ten-year term, could not get any lawyer to represent him because all the lawyers he approached refused to take the case. In the end, Mr. Ben Buabasah, a new lawyer at the Attorney-General’s office, was appointed to defend him. The prosecution was led by Mr Jeff Atakora after Lead Counsel, Miss Effe Kedem, who is the ex-wife of Mr. Bawa and whose appointment gave rise to many heated arguments over the ethical aspect of her representation, pulled out at the last minute. Mr. Bawa was found guilty and sentenced to the full twenty-five years stipulated under the Criminal Offences Act on rape, just as many Ghanaians were expecting. But, in a dramatic turn of events, young Chris Junior showed up with his mother and proved that, much to the horror of everybody, Miss Baaba Brooks suffers from Dissociative Identity Disorder, D.I.D, previously known as Multiple Personality Disorder, MPD, and that this condition made her lie about the whole incident and that the horrendous wounds on her body attributed to Mr. Bawa were in fact, inflicted by herself. She ended up taking a police officer’s gun and fatally wounding Mr. Bawa and his son in a shocking attack inside the court. With me is Doctor Joe Dawson, to shed more insight on this dreadful condition.
The camera angle pans to show a tall, beefy man in spectacles. He has a round beard and sharp bright eyes.
LEDI PEDI
Welcome to GTV NEWS, Doctor Dawson. We all witnessed the dramatic turn of events today. Can you please shed a little light on this D.I.D condition Miss Brooks is purportedly suffering from?
DOCTOR DAWSON
Well, Dissociative Identity Disorder is a mental condition characterized by at least two distinct dissociated personalities in a person that alternatively show in a person’s behaviour. So, the person can portray two or more different persons. Today he might behave as this person, and then tomorrow he can behave like another person.
LEDI PEDI
Interesting, and at the same time baffling. So, does such a person know that he or she portrays different entities?
DOCTOR DAWSON
In most cases, no. You heard that the prosecuting lawyer said Miss Brooks was interviewed using a lie detector test, and she passed it. That is because whatever the dominant personality is, at any particular time, she is wholly convinced of whatever she is saying, even if it is a blatant lie. Now, from what happened in court today, I can only make an educated guess which can be confirmed or otherwise by a thorough psychological test on Miss Brooks. Apparently, in her case, there are two personalities living inside her. One is Baaba, and the other is Babs. I’m convinced Miss Brooks was s*xually abused by her father when she was a child. To protect herself from this traumatic experience, her mind warped and created Baaba and Babs. Baaba sees herself as pure, unblemished, but Babs was the one who was r@ped and traumatized, and so she switches between these two personalities….
KEDEM RESIDENCE
Ken Kedem turns down the volume of the television and presses the power button that puts out the television.
His wife emerges from the bedroom, dressed for the hospital.
Mr. Kedem picks up his car keys and turns towards the door.
Minutes later, as they drive towards the hospital, his wife reaches across and takes his hand.
Her face is distraught from the tears she had shed.
IVY KEDEM
(solemnly)
Ken, I’m sorry. I’m absolutely sorry! You were right. I have hated Chris for no reason. I should’ve encouraged Effe to stay with him and not tried to tear them apart. I’m so sorry, dear.
Ken looks at her and smiles wanly.
KEN KEDEM
It’s alright, my dear. No need for blame games now. Your daughter needs a mother more than ever now.
Forty minutes later they enter the reception of the male ward.
There are a lot of people present, including Chris’ mother and his sister.
Effe sees them from across the room where she is standing by the window.
One look at her and Mrs. Kedem knows her daughter’s soul is absolutely shattered.
Effe walks unsteadily towards them, and then she falls into her mother’s arms and begins to cry, totally broken.
Ivy guides her to a seat and holds her tightly as she cries.
IVY KEDEM
(fighting back her own tears)
It’s okay, my darling. It’s okay. Everything’s going to be fine. How’re they?
EFFE
(hoarsely)
They’re still operating on them, Mom. I’m dying, Mama! Dear Lord, what have I done? If any of them dies I can’t live, Mama! I just can’t live!
Ken Kedem sits down beside them and gently pats her hair.
KEN KEDEM
There, there, sweet-cakes, they won’t die. Just hold in there.
The glass doors to the staff entrance opens, and Eyram and Rupert come out, still in their surgery gowns and looking absolutely drained.
All eyes turn to them, and Effe gets to her feet instantly, her heart thudding with fear as she sees the crushed look in their eyes, and she almost collapses.
EFFE
(tremulously)
Please. Are they okay?
Rupert smiles sadly, his kind eyes tortured.
RUPERT
We extracted the bullet successfully from Chris’ head. As for Junior the bullet luckily missed his heart, but it nicked his spine a bit. He’s currently in a coma, but his stats are very good, and he’s a very strong and healthy boy, so we expect him to come out of the coma soon. We’re certain of a full recovery. Chris is alright, but we’re a bit worried that he might lose his memory temporarily because of where the bullet lodged. We have induced him into a coma to let the swellings go down and the head to heal so that he might not permanently lose his memory. All we can do now is pray, but I can assure you they will be fine.
There are cries of relief from the people present.
EFFE
Where are they? Can I see them, please?
RUPERT
They’re both in Ward 5. We joined two beds for them. You can look in briefly, but only family, please.
A few minutes later Effe and her parents enter Ward 5.
Behind them are Diana and Mrs. Lois Bawa whose eyes just wouldn’t stop leaking tears.
Also with them are Wailer Vroom, Rupert and Eyram.
Chris is lying on the bed, absolutely still, wearing the blue admission gown. His eyes are shut, and he is connected to a lot of beeping machines.
Junior is lying beside him on the other bed, connected to the life-support machine, and he looks pale and tired.
Effe is blinded by tears as she stumbles forward and kneels by the side of the bed.
She reaches across and covers their hands with hers.
Eyram sees the gesture, and she scowls, turns and walks out of the ward.
Effe breaks down completely, and weeps her heart out.
She cannot stop, even when her father tries to console her.
She gets up and puts her head on Chris’ shoulder, and weeps from her soul, so shattered and torn that her tears wets and stains the gown like blood.
THE BAWA RESIDENCE
The main door opens and Mrs. Lois Bawa enters, followed by Diana.
Their families are in the living-room, watching television.
The Reverend Brand Bawa, Stan Bawa, Ruben Essel, Diana’s husband Kwaku Dossah, and their son Marlon.
Also present are Stan’s wife Esther, and their daughter, Maame Serwaa.
Diana silently sits down besides her husband and puts her head on his shoulder. He puts a loving, comforting arm across her shoulders.
Her son looks at her with a sad face.
MARLON
How’s Uncle Chris and Junior, Mama?
DIANA
(sadly)
They’ll be fine, MD. They’ll be fine. They just need our prayers.
Mrs. Lois does not stop.
She continues towards her bedroom, and after a moment her husband gets up and follows her.
He finds her lying on her side on the edge of the bed.
He sits down beside her and puts a hand on her shoulder.
REV BAWA
(tiredly)
I’m sorry, Lois. As usual, you were right. I’m terribly sorry. I’ll go and see him tomorrow, after I listen to what Elaine has to say.
Mrs. Lois jerks at the mention of Elaine’s name, and she peers at her husband in incomprehension
.
MRS. LOIS
What? Is Elaine coming here?
REV BAWA
No, no. Haven’t you heard? She’s doing a programme this evening. She says she’s going to show what happened to Chris the night he hit the poor girl with the car.
Madam Lois sits up suddenly, angrily.
MRS. LOIS
What? What’s wrong with that girl? Chris and his son are fighting for their lives and she wants to show something demeaning about him? And you’re going to watch it?
REV BAWA
I need to, dear. She says she has some new evidence that will blow our minds. If I’m going to be a father to my son, which I admit I haven’t been in a long time, then I need to watch it, and if it’s as terrible as I suspect it will be, I’ll know how to protect Chris.
MRS. LOIS
Dear Lord! What at all does she want from Chris?
REV BAWA
She’s never forgiven him for r@ping her, Lois. And I guess she’s disappointed Chris wasn’t jailed today, and so she’s doing all she can to smear him with mud.
MRS. LOIS
That girl is not a Christian! She just attends church!
REV BAWA
We can’t judge her, dear.
MRS. LOIS
Do you have her number? I must call her right now! She must stop this nonsense! She has to let Chris have his peace, aaaba!!
He takes her in his arms and rubs her back gently as she begins to weep again.
REV BAWA
It’ll be alright, dear. It’ll be alright.
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