Man freed after 17 years in prison under Presidential Pleasure, reunites with family

Mr Jaba Donle, who spent 17 years in prison without trial after being declared mentally unfit, has finally been released and reunited with his family, thanks to the tireless efforts of Assistant Superintendent of Prisons (ASP) Majid Alhassan and the leadership of Wa Central Prisons.

Mr Donle, now 54, was arrested in 2007 for allegedly murdering his younger brother with a piece of wood during a period of mental instability.

He was placed under Presidential Pleasure (PP), a sentence that mandated he remain in custody until deemed fit to stand trial.

However, long after regaining his mental stability, Mr Donle remained in Wa Central Prison, with no set discharge date or prospect of a trial.

His plight went unnoticed for years, leaving him to endure what could have been an indefinite imprisonment.

As fate would have it, hope emerged when ASP Majid Alhassan, Chief Executive Officer of Hope Foundation Gh and Head of the Criminal Records Unit of Wa Central Prisons, took up Mr Donle's case, backed by the Upper West Regional Prisons Commander, ADP James B. Mwinyelle.

“Majid, do anything humanly possible to get this guy freed legally,” Commander Mwinyelle instructed ASP Alhassan, who then embarked on a relentless mission to secure justice for Mr Donle.

Working closely with legal professionals, including the Legal Aid Scheme, ASP Alhassan advocated on Donle’s behalf.

Lawyer Crispin Ziekah, head of Legal Aid in the Upper West Region, eventually took up the case and filed the necessary applications to have Mr Donle's matter heard.

Determined to resolve the case, ASP Alhassan also approached Wa High Court Judge, His Lordship Justice Alhaji Yussif Asabey, to narrate Mr Donle’s ordeal. Justice Yussif was shocked to learn that Mr Donle had been in prison for 17 years without trial. Without delay, Justice Yussif called for an investigation into the case, prompting ASP Alhassan to track down Mr Donle’s family.

After days of searching, ASP Alhassan found Mr Donle’s village, Pouyaama-yiri, in Wa West District of the Upper West Region.

Tragically, all of Mr Donle’s close family members, including his two wives (who had remarried), had passed away during his time in custody.

Two of his five children had also died, leaving behind three surviving children, the eldest of whom was only five years old when Mr Donle was arrested.

“When I informed his children that their father was still alive, they broke down in tears. They had been told he had died many years ago,” ASP Alhassan recounted.

Despite the emotional toll, the family was able to speak with Mr Donle over the phone, marking the first time in 17 years that they had contact with him.

On 17 October 2024, after nearly two decades of incarceration, Mr Donle’s ordeal came to an end when he was officially "acquitted and discharged" by the court.

While Mr Donle has now regained his freedom, his journey is far from over. ASP Alhassan, who spearheaded the entire effort, is already focused on the next challenge: helping Mr Donle reintegrate into society.

During his time in prison, Mr Donle learned the skill of weaving. However, his deteriorating vision now prevents him from continuing this trade. ASP Alhassan has proposed setting up a mini provision store for Mr Donle in his village to provide him with a sustainable livelihood and help mitigate the emotional impact of his lost years.

“He needs something to keep him busy so he doesn’t dwell on the years he spent in prison,” ASP Alhassan noted. He further proposed, “A provision store will give him some independence and allow him to take care of his basic needs.”

“My dream is to see him established in his community so that he can cater for his livelihood without having to depend on others,” ASP Alhassan added.