Mystery Death At Koforidua Prisons

THE MYSTERY of how a prisoner, Salifu Yakubu, died a day after he was shoved into prison is causing a lot of unease at Koforidua where it all happened.

The deceased's brother, Adama Yakubu Salifu, who was also an inmate at the time of his death has accused the warders of beating the man to death.

According to the ex-convict, Yakubu arrived in the can on January 25. That evening while food was being rationed out, he went to the kitchen for salt, something that angered one Corporal Joseph Addo on duty.

Adama said the cop lashed at him with a whip so much that the fresh prisoner poured the soup in his hand, unintentionally, on Addo.

This incensed not only Addo but other officers, chief Ablor and both pummelled the offending chap till he comatosed.

His brother who has formally petitioned the Director-General of the prisons said the saddest spectacle came when Ablor ordered Yakubu to be handcuffed with what is known in prison circles as monkey chains.

It took a superior officer called Asante to get the man released from the shackles as he (Asante) narrated a similar incident at Sunyani in Brong Ahafo Region in which the prisoner eventually died. Though Salifu was saved, Asnate's "bell" came too late: the next day, the prisoner died.

He was buried the same day ostensibly because he was a Moslem, his brother told Chronicle.

But that claim was hotly challenged by the station officer, Philip Balegha who put the burial date at January 28 and not 26.

According to him, a comprehensive autopsy was done on the body and a Dr. Raphael K. Quartey of the Koforidua Central Hospital who conducted it gave "Hypertension" as the cause of Yakubu's death.

When contacted first Balegha appeared to be ignorant of the death. He had to consult his files before confirming the story.

One of the tests upon which the doctor arrived at the hypertension conclusion was done on the fingerprints of the body he told our correspondent.

In a way the officer admitted the beating could be the cause of the prisoner's death, he said he had always been against the style of punishment that some of the prisoners are subjected to "when they offend the officers."

He added that he had actually been insisting that the officers resist all temptations to beat the inmates.

He assured that the case will be rigorously investigated and if fresh evidence pin the officers down, they would be punished. But what Adama and many observes are calling for is a more credible team appointed outside the Koforidua Prisons to investigate the matter for the avoidance of any doubt.