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Court starts hearing cases inside Kumasi Central
Prisons
Kumasi, Aug 26, Ghanadot/GNA – A
Kumasi High Court on Tuesday began hearing cases of remand
prisoners whose warrants had expired while on remand in the
Kumasi Central Prisons.
It is part of an initiative to help to decongest the
country’s prisons spearheaded by the Justice Ministry, the
Judicial Service, the Ghana Police and the Ghana Prisons
services under a programme dubbed “Justice for All.”
In all 52 cases had been listed to be heard by the court.
The offences range from stealing, threat of death,
possession of narcotic drugs to robbery.
Remand prisoners, accused of murder would, however, be
required to submit application to the court before their
cases could be heard. The only exception is those who have
contracted contagious diseases.
The court, presided over by Mr Justice Frank Amoah, the
Supervising High Court Judge, on day one of the sitting,
heard 18 cases but none of the remand prisoners was freed.
Four of them Afua Kyekye, Patricia Yeboah, Kwaku Poku and
Yaw Kyereme, who have been languishing in the prison because
of their inability to find people to sign their bail bond
but now claim their relatives are ready, were asked to
contact their relatives through a social officer to secure
their release.
Three others, Aduma Tigre, Baba Tahiru and Kwadwo Sarfo,
charged with robbery were ordered by the Presiding Judge to
be brought before the Kumasi High Court One on September 14.
Another person, Anthony Antoo, accused of threat of death,
who looked emaciated should be medically examined by the
prison’s medical staff.
The High Court subpoenaed the Konongo Magistrate Court, some
police officers and court officials to appear before it on
the second day of the sitting to clarify matters bothering
on alleged missing of dockets and to furnish the court with
relevant information to help in the determination of some
cases.
This is the third in the series of court sittings in the
country’s prisons. The earlier ones took place at James Town
in Accra and the Nsawam Medium Security Prisons.
GNA |
