67-year-old man freed under Justice for All Programme

A 67-year-old man has been discharged after a special in-prison court sitting at the Kpando Local Prison under the Justice For All Programme.

Anthony Darko spent 10 years on remand for allegedly murdering a young child in 2008.

After a careful scrutiny, the committee tasked to execute the Justice For All Programme felt it was appropriate to release the man after a decade in custody without trial.

“The old man has been with us for so long,” Commander of Kpando Local Prison Anu Ansah said, adding they are happy that the Justice For All Programme has assessed the old man’s case.

The Commander said the Kpando Local Prison is supposed to hold 70 inmates however the current population is 287. He said he is concerned about the overcrowding, poor health care and insanitary conditions because of the huge number of inmates.

Chairman of Justice For All Programme, Justice Clemence Honyenuga said they “were informed in court that there were some difficulties …there was lack of communication between the police and Attorney General’s Department , I think that caused the delay.

He expressed hope that such an incident will not happen again because “all prisoners have rights”.

The Justice For All Pragramme is an initiative aimed at decongesting the prisons.

The programme was initiated in 2007 by then-Attorney General Joe Ghartey in close collaboration with the Judicial Service, the Ghana Police Service, the Ghana Prisons Service, lawyers, as well as civil society groups.