Three Ghanaians to hang in Thai prisons

THREE Ghanaian drug dealers have been sentenced to death by hanging at the Klong Prem prison in Bangkok, Thailand. Sadji Kamara, chairman of the committee of convicted Ghanaians in Thailand revealed this to the press in a note to selected press houses.

According to Sadji Kamara, there has been no execution in Thailand for a decade until April this year when Taiwan national and three others were hanged for drug dealing.


He noted that conditions at the prisons in Thailand are extremely harsh and inhuman.


Kamara said even though they concede that drug trafficking is criminal and dangerous, the government owed it a responsibility to use diplomatic channels for a swap so that they can serve the remaining of their prison terms in Ghana.


"It is our hope that the Kufuor administration will fulfil its election promise with respect to alleviating hardship among Ghanaians who are facing trouble.


According to Kamara, the government of Ghana has no mission in Thailand and as such Ghanaians in that country are treated like second class citizens.

He said they have exploited every avenue to draw the attention of government about their fate to no avail.


Sadji Kamara revealed that because of the inhuman treatment meted out to them by the Thailand authorities they are getting increasingly nervous and uncertain. "Our lives in prison has been a constant struggle against obstacles. It has been years of frustration.


Execution in Thailand is by hanging or shooting since death by lethal injection is yet to be legalised.


When further enquiries were made at the Narcotic and Drugs Control Board, the Board said it has currently no records or data on Ghanaians convicted for narcotic drug offences in Thailand and that the Thai Government does not furnish the Narcotic and Drugs Control Board with any figures concerning Ghanaians convicted for drug offences in Thailand.


A source at the Narcotic and Drugs Control Board, said two Ghanaians were interdicted this year at the Kotoka International Airport from Thailand at different occasions in possession of large quantities of heroine.

The first arrest effected on the 13th of August this year was in respect of a convict in possession of 688grams of heroine concealed in a pair of ladies sandals whiles the second arrest effected on the 20th of August, saw the convict with 2,699 grams of heroine concealed in rice cookers from Thailand when he took delivery of the goods at the Airport.


In another development, the source said, a Nigerian was also arrested at the Airport on the 20th of May with 104 grams of heroine swallowed in pellets when he arrived into the country from Peshawar, Pakistan, another East Asian country.


The cases, according to our sources, are currently before the courts and for which they were granted bail to the tune of ? 120m, ? 200m and ?150m respectively.


When Chronicle contacted the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for what the Ministry could do to mitigate the sentence of hanging reported to have been slapped on the three Ghanaians, the Director responsible for information, Mr. Kodwo Acquah said no information to that effect has been received by his office.


The Director responsible for the Asia Bureau of the Ghana Mission also expressed lack of knowledge about the sentence.