Prisoner escapes from Koforidua prisons

A prisoner serving a 10-year jail term at the Koforidua prisons has allegedly escaped.

The convict, Charles Agyei, alias Rasta escaped Wednesday when he and other inmates went out with some prison officers to fetch firewood at Akwadum road.

An informant close to the Prisons, indicates that the escapee was using a chainsaw machine to cut down the firewood while the other inmates were gathering but managed to escape after realizing he was not being monitored.

Starr News’ Eastern Regional Correspondent Kojo Ansah who visited the Koforidua Prisons reports that, the Prison officers who were in charge of the inmates have been dispatched since Wednesday to search for the fugitive.

The Koforidua Prison commander, Bob Dery confirmed the incident to Starr News but was hesitant to give details.

The escapee Charles Agyei was arrested on 22 December 2016. He attempted to escape when he was being sent to Court on December 23, but was recaptured and sent to court and fresh charges were slapped on him. He was jailed 9-months for that offence.

On April 2017, he was put before Court at Mpraeso Circuit Court and was charged for possession of narcotic substance which he pleaded guilty and was convicted to a 10-year jail term with hard labour.

The court stated that, the 10-year jail term commences after serving the initial 9-month sentence.

The escapee has completed serving the 9-months jail term and has started serving the 10-year sentence and was therefore not eligible per regulations of the Ghana Prisons Service to be taken out for labourer work without adequate security.

Sources indicates that, the escapee operates with some drug barons who are alleged to have influenced and masterminded his escape.

Currently, the Koforidua Prisons has 660 inmates as at May 7, 2018. This is made up of 434 convicted prisoners, 183 remand prisoners, 18 foreigners and 5 other foreigners on trial.