Appeal made to Ministry of Interior

Sekondi, Sept 17, GNA - Mr Richard Quayson, Western Regional Director of the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), on Wednesday called on the Ministry of Interior to transfer the responsibility for the welfare of remand prisoners to the Ghana Prisons Service.

He made the call when speaking to the Press after visiting the Sekondi Central Prisons as part of the 10th anniversary celebration of the CHRAJ in the Western Region.

Mr Quayson said the Police have the responsibility for the upkeep of remand prisoners and this often creates problems for prisoners and the Prisons Service.

Mr Quayson, who was answering questions from the press about the poor conditions at the remand section of the Prison, said the present arrangement, which gives the Police the responsibility for remand prisoners, is not effective.

He said the CHRAJ would take up the cases of some of the 96 remand prisoners, some of whom have been in prison for over 10 years without trial and have skin diseases and other health problems. Mr Kwaw Yankson, Assistant Director of Prisons who is the acting officer in-charge of the Prison, said the Prison has 436 inmates and is overcrowded.

He said the Prison authorities are making efforts to decongest it by transferring some of the inmates to the Hiawa and Ekuasi Camp Prisons. Mr. Yankson said the large number of remand inmates at the Prison was due to delay of the courts in disposing cases quickly and remanding people in prison for lesser offences.

He said the Prison authorities have taken up the matter with the Attorney General's Department to speed up trials 17 Sept. 03