Committee orders interdiction of Prison Officers

Accra, July 10, GNA - The Committee set up by the Minister of Interior to investigate the escape of convict prisoner John Malm, alias Baby Nii, has ordered the interdiction of Mr Felix Yeboah Assistant Director of Prisons and Mr Emmanuel Tettey Adametey, Assistant Chief officer of the Nsawam Medium Security Prisons.

Also to be interdicted and arrested are ACO Frank Agodzo and Chief Officer David Marfo Boateng for their involvement in the escape. These were contained in an interim report submitted by the Committee and presented at the weekly press briefing in Accra by Mr Thomas Broni, Deputy Minister of the Interior and Chairman of the Committee.

Baby Nii, who escaped from the prisons on June 25, under the pretext of going for treatment at Nsawam Hospital was serving a 15-year jail sentence with hard labour for conspiracy, unlawful entry and stealing.

He was re-arrested on Sunday, July six in Togo with some of his accomplices.

Mr Broni said, the Committee was to among other issues, determine the modalities for receiving visitors by prisoners and to ascertain if they were followed in respect of Baby Nii.

The Committee also looked into circumstances under which the prisoner escaped, find out if basic routines for prisoners were followed before he went to the hospital and the action taken by the prison after the escape.

Mr Broni said the Committee found out the whole work organisation within the Nsawam Prisons does not follow laid down rules and regulations as contained in the Prisons Standing Orders. Specific instructions from the Director-General of Prisons concerning the handling of notorious prisoners are also not complied with.

The Deputy Minister said the Committee's order in the case of Mr Yeboah who is the Officer-In-Charge, falls within this context as it found that he is in general, "casual and has no idea of what goes on in the prison".

He said Mr Yeboah's response to the escape was unprofessional because he failed to inform the Director-General until a day after the incident

Mr Yeboah also failed to initiate escape routine measures and to deploy the rapid response team to recapture the escapee. According to Mr Broni, Mr Yeboah learnt of the escape at about 0830 hours on June 25, but went with Superintendent Araba Megnuson to the Hospital in connection with the proposed amnesty for sick prisoners where he was again told of the incident.

He rather travelled to Koforidua at noon but lied to the committee that he left for Koforidua at about 0830 hours.

"He is apathetic, completely disengaged, and irresponsible. Mr Yeboah's conduct before the Committee was not impressive. He was evasive and lied throughout the interview," Mr Broni said when he described Mr Yeboah's attitude before the Committee.

Mr Broni said it was Mr Ben Lartey, Assistant Director and second-in-command who upon hearing about the escape at 1000 hours immediately initiated action towards the recapture of Baby Nii and also informed the Director-General.

In the case of Mr Adametey, Mr Broni said he completely disregarded visiting regulations and recommended several visits within a week instead of once a week.

The Deputy Minister said Mr Adamatey also misled Mr M. S. B. Issaka, a Superior Prison Officer and the Approving Officer who failed to ascertain whether the convict was due for visitation. Mr Agordzo on his part has had a high profile of escape involving a German citizen at the Korle-Bu Hospital and should therefore, not have been in the escorting team that took the convict and three others to the hospital.

He is the same officer that took Baby Nii to the hospital a week earlier when the first escape plot was scheduled to take place, the Minister added.

Mr Broni noted that Senior Chief Officer Wilson Anyidoho who entrusted Baby Nii into Agordzo's care told the committee "I chose Frank Agordzo because I trusted him".

The Deputy Minister said the re-captured prisoner alleged in the case of Mr Boateng, that he (Boateng) called his mother to give her messages whenever he needed money or food.

"The Committee felt that Chief Officer David M. Boateng's telephone calls greatly helped convict John Malm and his friends to plan the successful escape of the 25 June, 2003," he said. Under the Prison Sevice Decree, any person who without authority from the Superior Prison Officer in Charge conveys anything to or from a prisoner, whether in or out of a prison shall be guilty of an offence. Mr Broni said the Committee also found out that Malm bought the escape plan from Charles Cofie, a remand prisoner for 200 dollars and one million cedis.

The Deputy Minister said this is being investigated.