The Kumasi Central Prisons Command is facing a tough probe from the steering committee of the Justice for All Programme.
Justice Angelina Mensah-Homiah, Chairperson for the committee has raised questions on why a remand prisoner whose case was struck out by the Nkawie circuit court as far back as February 2024 was still held at the Kumasi Central Prisons until his release on Monday, 22nd July, 2024.
Addressing the media at the forecourt of the Kumasi Central Prisons, she queried that “If a court in his own wisdom has found no case against an accused person and the court has discharged the person, on what basis should an investigator bring the person back to prisons.
Who signed the warrant for the investigator to bring the accused person back to prison. I’m still probing. I need further answers. Why and how did the person enter the prison premises when a court of competent jurisdiction had struck out the case and discharged him.
Does it mean that if we had not come to the prisons today to raise this alarm he would still have been in there?
Already he has overstayed for 5 months.
Just imagine ladies and gentlemen.
This can happen to your relatives, it can happen to my relative”.
Justice Angelina Mensah-Homiah made the above inquisition in an engagement with the media, shortly after the 1st in- prison court sitting held under the Justice for All Programme at the Kumasi Central Prisons came to a close.
She described the situation as very unfortunate.
“This is very much unfair and had it not being the Justice for All programme we would not have uncovered this unfortunate event”.
Premised on the above anomaly, she admonished investigators to sit up and ensure that at all times, remand warrants are properly and duely endorsed by judges or magistrates.
STATISTICS for Justice for All Court Sitting Held at Kumasi Central Prisons
A total of 31 cases were put before 2 courts which were presided over by Justice Hannah Taylor and Justice Frederick Tetteh.
3 persons were discharged unconditionally, 2 were convicted, 13 bail applications were refused and 2 cases were struck out.
Justice Angelina Mensah-Homiah remarked that the Justice for All Programme is moving in the right direction considering the impact it has brought to vulnerable inmates who as a result of lack of legal representation and other factors would have spent years in prison without trial.
Source; www.leakyghana.com
