4 remand prisoners discharged at Akuse Prison

Four remand prisoners at the Akuse Prison in the Eastern Region were discharged after two courts had heard their cases under the 'Justice for All' programme.

Out of the 23 cases reviewed, eight of the prisoners were absent from court and two were granted bail.

Three other prisoners were refused bail while two bail cases were reviewed.

Also, for two prisoners already on bail, one of the prisoners had his case struck out while the other had his case adjourned.

The suspects have spent between two and three years on remand for various crimes including murder, armed robbery, stealing, rape, fraud, and drug-related cases.

The six courts were presided over by two high court judges, Justice Clemence Honyenuga, and Justice Constant Hometowu.

The 'Justice for All' was initiated by the Attorney General and Minister of Justice and the Ghana Prisons Service to ensure that justice is provided for every citizen, irrespective of one's background to help decongest the prisons.

Justice Honyenuga, Chairman for the Justice for All programme, said that the project was being implemented across the country to decongest the prisons and ensure justice for all inmates who had been on remand for years awaiting trial.

He appealed to the society to accept the discharged prisoners since some of them were neglected and ended up committing the same crimes.

Justice Hometowu directed the Prison Service to conduct an investigation into the whereabouts of remand inmates who absented themselves from the court proceedings and present a report to the Chief Justice, the Director General of the Prison Service and the Inspector General of Police.

Mr Edward Fifi Acquah, Assistant Director of the Akuse Prison, commended the Attorney General's Department and stakeholders for the exercise stressing that it would help decongest the prisons.