A man falsely accused of theft was exonerated on Saturday after a mix-up led to his wrongful arrest.
The incident, which he shared on his Facebook page, has sparked discussions on wrongful accusations and police procedures.
John Farms, who assists his hearing-impaired sister in her sweater-making business, recounted how he was lured into a trap under the guise of a business opportunity.
He had received a call from an elderly woman expressing interest in commissioning school cardigans, but upon arriving at a park near a UBA bank, he was confronted by two police officers. They accused him of stealing 50 cartons of thread from a vendor at Chencheniya Market.
Despite his protests, Farms was taken to the police station, where he faced intense interrogation.
“I was terrified,” he wrote. “I thought about all the innocent people who have suffered due to wrongful accusations.”
After hours of uncertainty, the thread seller arrived and cleared Farms of any wrongdoing. The vendor explained that his son had mistakenly provided the police with Farms’ phone number instead of the real suspect’s. Apologizing for the mix-up, the vendor expressed deep regret for the ordeal Farms had endured.
In his Facebook post, Farms emphasized his decision to forgive those responsible and expressed gratitude for what he called divine intervention.
“I have forgiven them because I choose to,” he stated. “I won’t let anger consume me.”