70 Ghanaians Languishing In Thai Jail

Ghana currently has 70 prisoners, eight of whom are females, in Thai prisons serving various jail terms for drug offences.

Foreign Affairs minister, Nana Akuffo-Addo who announced this at the meet the press series in Accra on Tuesday, said government is working with the Thai government on some exchange arrangement.

When asked what form of assistance was being offered Mr Eric Amoateng, the Ghanaian MP arrested for his alleged involvement in a narcotic case in New York, he said Ghana's mission in New York had twice visited him since the case began. He said discussions had taken place between Ghanaian and Thai authorities, at the recent Africa-Asia Summit in Jakarta where President Kufuor and Prime Minister of Thailand Thaksin Shinawatra instructed their Foreign Ministers to expedite action on the matter.

When asked what form of assistance was being offered the Nkoranza North MP, Eric Amoateng, the Ghanaian MP arrested for his alleged involvement in a narcotic case in New York, he said Ghana's mission in New York had twice visited him since the case began.

Nana Addo Dankwa Akuffo-Addo on Tuesday called for patience in the period leading to a concrete investigation and resolution of the death of Ghanaians in The Gambia last year. He explained that due to the nature of the incidents and the circumstances under which they occurred, it was rather difficult to move into that country and start conducting investigations. The Foreign Minister said Ghanaian and The Gambian authorities were currently engaged in investigations at the various locations and would soon come out on the matter. The team comprises officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Criminal Investigations Division, Homicide Unit and the Forensic Science Laboratory of the Ghana Police Service.

He said the team had already had a briefing session with officials of the Ghana Embassy in Dakar, Senegal, and all relevant documents and oral briefs had been made available to them. The Mission had also identified various locations in Senegal, which would be of significant relevance to the investigations, especially in identifying the organizers of the boat that was carrying illegal immigrants, including Ghanaians, which resulted in the deaths. He said some identified Ghanaian witnesses had been summoned to deliver their testimonies while others who lived with some of those who undertook the journey were in the process of being interviewed.

Nana Akuffo-Addo said the Senegalese security agencies would assist the team to verify the details provided by some survivors of the events that occurred on 23 July 2005. The team would move to Banjul on Wednesday, March 15, 2006 to join their Gambian counterparts to continue investigations. He said the team would submit a report for further action to be taken on the matter, and that Government is determined to leave no stone unturned till the truth of the whole matter was fully established and appropriate measures duly taken.