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Crime & Punishment of Friday, 29 May 2009

Source: GNA

"Justice for all" holds sittings at Nsawam Medium Security Prisons

Accra, May 29, GNA - "Justice for all" initiated by the Attorney-General's Department in collaboration with the Judicial Service, to facilitate justice to the citizenry took another giant leap when 12 Circuit and District Courts from the Eastern and Central Regions held court sittings in the premises of Nsawam Medium Security Prisons on May 22 and 26.

A statement issued in Accra on Friday and signed by Mr D.A. Kwapong, Director of Communications at the Judicial Service said 82 cases from the Eastern Region pending in eight courts were mentioned. They were; Akim Swedru, Nsawam, Asamankese and Akropong Circuits Courts, Akim Oda, Akim Ofoase, Kade and Nsawam District Courts which held their sitting on Friday, May 22. It said a case was struck out because the accused person was dead. In other cases the accused person had their warrants renewed and adjourned to definite dates whilst in other cases, the accused persons were discharged from the courts to appear before appropriate courts of jurisdiction.

The statement said the programme which was basically aimed at regularising prison warrants by renewing them and also to decongest the prisons continued on Tuesday May 26. Four courts from the Central Region namely; Agona Swedru Circuit, Winneba, Swedru and Awutu Districts Courts held their sitting at the same venue.

The statement said 25 cases mostly robbery, murder and narcotics were mentioned and apart from an accused person whose case was struck out because he was dead, the rest were adjourned to various dates with their warrants renewed. Others had their cases transferred to other courts of competent jurisdiction due to the nature and gravity of their cases. Mr Justice Clemence J. Honyenuga, an Appeal Court Judge, who supervised the court sitting at Nsawam, noted that this important exercise would be sustained to satisfy the justice needs to all and sundry. A similar exercise was held on April 7, 2009 at Nsawam Medium Security Prison as a follow-up to the maiden sitting held in 2007 at the former James Town Prisons at James Town in Accra. 29 May 09