Two persons on remand for eight years now granted bail

Koforidua, Nov. 2, GNA - Through the initiatives of the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), two persons, who have been on remand in the Koforidua Prisons for eight years without trial, have now been granted bail.

The attention of CHRAJ authorities were drawn to the plight of the two persons when the officers visited the facility on August 17 this year. Ahorlu Ben, 46, appeared before the Suhum District Magistrate's Court for murder in 2002 and was remanded on March 14 that year, while Kwaku Dzila, 50, was also standing trial at the same court for a similar offence.

The CHRAJ made an appeal to the Koforidua High Court and the two were granted bail with two sureties with justification. Mr Dominic Cecil Hammond, Assistant Legal Officer at CHRAJ, disclosed this when the Commission donated quantity of paints and drugs to the Koforidua Prisons Infirmary, on Tuesday. He said the donation followed an appeal made by authorities of the Koforidua Prisons when officials of the Commission visited the facility.

He appealed to the prison authorities to put the donation to good use and expressed gratitude to the Y&K limited, a constructing firm, for sponsoring the donation. Assistant Director of Prison, Mr Kwame Kuma Kpeli, observed that the survival of the prison partly depended on donations from philanthropists and called for more support.