Campaigners are still seeking justice for a Ghanaian footballer convicted for rape in the United States. Eric Frimpong, described by friends and colleagues as a very innocent man, travelled to the United States to develop his skills and take up a career in professional football. Things were going according to plan until he was accused of rape. Eric, known among his friends as Saviola, was subsequently slapped with a 6-year jail sentence for a crime many say he did not commit. Campaigners say there was no evidence to support his conviction last year and they are demanding his immediate release or a retrial. His case gained international prominence about two weeks ago after ESPN magazine published an article on how his host family in America is trying to raise money to hire lawyers for him. Paul Monahan, the American man who has been spearheading the campaign to get justice for Eric Frimpong said the case of Eric comes as a big shock to his (Monahan’s) family. “He was able to convince me that he was a man that could never harm any person, never mind the horrible things this woman claims that he did,” Mr Monahan told Joy FM’s Dzifa Bampoe. On the video-sharing website, you tube, a man strums his guitar and sings about the injustice done to Eric Frimpong. On the same website there are dozens of messages criticising the American justice system for jailing an innocent man. The simple demand of most of these online campaigners is the immediate release of the Ghanaian, now US talent. On another website, Facebook, several groups have been formed in solidarity with Eric, some of them working to raise money to pay his legal fees. Most of these group members are white people who feel the trial and conviction of the young footballer, a former student of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, was racially motivated. And it’s easy to understand why. The young woman who accuses Eric of rape was very drunk at the time the incident happened and she has very hazy recollections of what happened to her. Also, the DNA tests indicate the semen found on the accuser did not belong to Eric. It rather belonged to the rape victim’s jealous boyfriend. Campaigners say these raised serious doubts about the prosecution’s case, yet an all-white jury went ahead to convict Eric and sentenced him to six years in jail. All throughout his trial, Eric’s American family have stood firmly behind him and they are the one’s leading the campaign to get him released. But following the publication of his story in the ESPN magazine, some Ghanaians across the United States are getting involved. Gregory Rockson is one of them. Mr. Rockson told Joy News his group has been in touch with officials at Ghana’s diplomatic mission in Washington DC. They are now preparing a formal petition for the mission to get involved in the campaign to get justice for Eric so he can revive his football career. Source: Myjoyonline.com/Ghana